Guild Wars 2

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Forever_Tree
1) How many juggernauts could each of these trees create?
2) They can only create one juggernaut per year?
3) It transforms humans into juggernauts but could it do the same for other races (ex. sylvari)?
4) Is there any relation between forever trees and the pale tree?
5) Is there any relation between forever trees and mordremoth (it transforms a living being into a plant like thing that lives forever, but their minds are left untouched)?
6) why are all of the tree singers necromancers with death nova as their only skill (just something strange)?
7) Do the souls combine with the forever tree or are they consumed? (“They were once humans whose souls the gods deemed fit to merge with the souls of the Forever Trees.”)
8) Is it the gods that decide or volunteering that decides if one can become a juggernaut?

Songs of Arboreum used to create juggernauts
“A holy protector to defend the forest.” “Equal in the mystery.” “An eternal tree.” “By which we resurrect the dead.”

“The time has come to awaken the Forever Trees that they might bless us with new juggernauts. Have you seen these creatures yet? They were once humans whose souls the gods deemed fit to merge with the souls of the Forever Trees. They become the protectors of our lands, and in return, they are much honored and revered.”

“The Awakening ceremony is sacred; few are the outsiders who have witnessed it. The Council of Nobles, however, feels that the assistance you’ve provided our people has been invaluable. We therefore bestow upon you the high honor of acting as guardian during the Awakening.”

1) Seemingly infinite – there’s only three trees, and when a juggernaut dies it simply is reborn at the tree. Never explained though on any limits, but it’s not done so often because of cultural reasons – it’s a very high honor to be turned into a juggernaut and since it effectively gives immortality to the individual careful consideration has to be done – don’t want to give a criminal immortality, do ya?
2) Possible, never really explained as said.
3) See above.
4) Extremely unlikely. They look nothing alike and the Pale Tree doesn’t transform, it doesn’t need living sacrifices to make sylvari. Sylvari are akin to fruit, the juggernauts are literally constructs made from plant materials and possessed by the sacrificee’s soul (it isn’t a literal transformation as we can still see the human body after the juggernaut’s made – they could have easily removed it if it was the body transforming).
5) With knowing next to nothing on Mordremoth, highly unlikely still due to the lack of mental change in juggernauts. Keep in mind, dragon minions are fanatically devoted to their dragon. Furthermore, dragon minions are not immortal.
6) Likely just mechanics to keep the mission from being too hard.
7) Indications to me show that the soul is just tied to the Forever Tree, not consumed by it. Otherwise the juggernauts would be effectively mindless, rather than having their original personality and capable of speech even (and holding their original names too). The line likely refers to the whole connection of effective-immortality so long as the Forever Tree lives.
8) The kurzicks are highly religious and view many things as signs of the gods or wait for something that can count as a sign of the gods to lead them. It isn’t mere volunteering, since anyone can volunteer – including those who’d abuse the power. They have to be deemed worthy; whether this is done by the actual gods (unlikely IMO), or the Redemptors interpreting “signs of the gods” is unknown, but I’m betting the later.

hmm I suppose this bring up another question, if all that is required to make a juggernaut is a soul and the ritual, would it be possible to bring ghosts back to life, like all of the ghosts kept alive by the foefire, or even adelbern himself?

It would seem that a living person is needed, not just a soul. Otherwise, why use living people at all?

perhaps the trees are blessings from melandru as it seems the juggernauts could compare to the margonites of abbadon in that both are unable to reproduce (I believe juggernauts cant reproduce but don’t have any evidence) while they both take on aspects of their deity.

Separately do we know what kind of creature melandru turned Ewan’s tribe into? seems there are a few possibilities as tree like creatures that became stewards of nature, Treants (The formerly human Druids of the Maguuma Jungle took on a treant-like appearance (specifically Willowheart) before becoming spectral guardians of the jungle.), Juggernauts (as their life is tied to the forever trees turning them into forcible guardians of their tree?), Forests Spirits (ex Urgoz),and to a lesser degree possibly Wardens

The mysterious and ancient Wardens guard the areas of Cantha hit hardest by Shiro’s legacy. Protectors of the Echovald that was, they now guard the petrified forest it has become. They may once have been human, perhaps powerful druids or holy men, but they long ago merged with the spirit they served to become something altogether different.

Now they stand as the ultimate protectors of the Echovald that is. The clan claims the right of vengeance for what Shiro Tagachi wrought, and blames all humans for the Jade Wind that stripped the woods and sea of life, but inexplicably left the Wardens unharmed. Driven nearly mad, enraged at their failure to fulfill their only purpose, they work in their own mysterious ways to reverse the effects of Shiro’s death, but until they succeed, they will threaten any humans they encounter.

Wardens do not take names as such, but take their monikers from their rank in the clan’s natural hierarchy. The lowest ranked, least powerful Wardens are associated with the smallest forms and shapes of nature—leaves, moss, seashells, and so on. Higher up are those Wardens who take their name from particular trees or larger forms of sea life, while those protectors that lead the clans take the names of the seasons.

Where do the Dragon plants(Dragon Lily from Shing Jea and Dragon Moss & Undergrowth from Echovald) come in?

Stop thinking that anything plant-like must be connected with Mordremoth somehow.

Seriously, it’s hurting flower sellers.

I’m sure ANet can come up with much better dragon minions.

Oh, I’m sure they will. They’ll be the flowers sold at the flourists’ stalls.

Then we have Audrey II’s going about.

Feed me, Marjory!

I want a mini Audrey!

Wanderer.3248:

Stop thinking that anything plant-like must be connected with Mordremoth somehow.

Seriously, it’s hurting flower sellers.

I’m sure ANet can come up with much better dragon minions.

Actually we lack a lot of racial origins. We don’t for example know how the humans, norns, charr or asura came about, and we don’t know the story behind the original seed that created the pale tree and sylvari (other than the seed was in a cave guarded by plant monsters). In fact to my knowledge there are only a handful of species who’s origins we know (breeze riders came from magic, demons are made from the mist). With such limited knowledge, and given the somewhat unique nature of plant creatures it does seem logical to ask if plant creatures aren’t related in some way.

Arguably, we know how humans came about – in regards to Tyria (brought to Tyria from another world); and we don’t know that wind riders “came from magic” – we just know that Sybitha unleashed them, specifically those in the Crystal Desert (those elsewhere may be of different origin).

But to ask if all mobile plants are related in some way is no different than asking if centaurs and charr are related in some way because they have similar bone structures (which in turn is like asking if humans and pigs are related because both have similar bone density or whatever the similarity is that makes pigs a good test for effectiveness on humans).

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Arguably, we know how humans came about – in regards to Tyria (brought to Tyria from another world);

Much like panspermia it does a very bad job of explaining where anything came from, it just shifts the location.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

and we don’t know that wind riders “came from magic” – we just know that Sybitha unleashed them, specifically those in the Crystal Desert (those elsewhere may be of different origin).

And Sybitha was a wizard right?

Konig Des Todes.2086:

But to ask if all mobile plants are related in some way is no different than asking if centaurs and charr are related in some way because they have similar bone structures (which in turn is like asking if humans and pigs are related because both have similar bone density or whatever the similarity is that makes pigs a good test for effectiveness on humans).

It just hit me (while I was mindlessly doing my daily), from a scientific perspective it is perfectly logical to ask if Charr and Centaurs are related if they have similar bone structures (looking at physical traits is one of the ways we define biological taxonomies). From an evolutionary standpoint separate development of common traits is possible, but usually can be traced back to a common ancestor. Although bone density isn’t a very good relating factor I must admit, but in terms of testing on pigs to see the effectiveness on humans… well depends on the test. Humans and pigs have a lot of similarities actually (http://www.goshen.edu/bio/pigbook/humanpigcomparison.html), it’s kinda the reason we can do things like tissue transplants. Interesting note a 75kg Pig has a similar heart size as a 75kg human. Although if it’s the immune system we’d probably look at the sea otter oddly enough).

CureForLiving.5360:

Much like panspermia it does a very bad job of explaining where anything came from, it just shifts the location.

Well it isn’t quite as interesting as “they evolved from monkeys.”

CureForLiving.5360:

And Sybitha was a wizard right?

Yes, a powerful wizard of sorts that at one point lived in the Crystal Desert.

CureForLiving.5360:

It just hit me (while I was mindlessly doing my daily), from a scientific perspective it is perfectly logical to ask if Charr and Centaurs are related if they have similar bone structures (looking at physical traits is one of the ways we define biological taxonomies). From an evolutionary standpoint separate development of common traits is possible, but usually can be traced back to a common ancestor.

There are quite a lot of similarities between centaur and charr, but its still similarities that are on par to between a human and pig, which aren’t closely related genetically.

Though interestingly enough, centaurs and charr are amongst the two that hold the heaviest likelihood of being original Tyrian (continent) inhabitants – alongside grawl. Though this only holds if you count continental Tyria going east of where we presently know. All other sentient races are either of unmentioned origins, or are refugees from elsewhere (best other candidates are ancient races – jotun, ogre, dwarf, mursaat, and seer).