Guild Wars 2

Guys, I think I’m missing something here. Maybe you can help me fill in the blanks.

The Zephyrites docked in the Labyrinthine Cliffs, and then a market thing happened. Or the market there is a seasonal thing and the Zephyrites just decided to show up there this time.

I am guessing that the merchants that we see in the Labyrinthine Cliffs come from all over. But who lives in the houses?

• Is this a colony of Canthan origin? (architecture seems to indicate a connection.)
• Is the housing in Labyrinthine Cliffs temporary, and just used when the market takes place?
• Did the Zephyrites spontaneously build housing there? (I didn’t think Zephyrites had any connection to Canthan architecture. Also, … nothing they say indicates that the Zephyrites are the locals here.)

I guess my actual question is: how the hell do the Labyrinthine Cliffs locals get from A to B when the Zephyrites and their wind/sun/lightning aspect masters aren’t standing around with their crystals, which should be for most of the year?

Or if the crystals are a natural phenomenon in this particular area (you can “harvest” them endlessly after all), then what’s the connection between this place and the Zephyrite aspect masters?

Who lives in the Labyrinthine Cliffs (ex-Zephyrites?) and why do they build crazy architecture like really high up housing?

I think it’s not very likely that the houses are build by the Zephyrites themselves, because they don’t live on the land, but reside on their large ship-kite hybrid. You make a good point on the transportation, without the aspects it will be very hard to get to most of the houses or sky docks.

It would be nice to see if it is in fact a Canthan colony, but I don’t think that would be possible without for example the Order of Whispers to know, because they know like a lot.

Based on how I understood the introduction text, the Bazaar of the Four Winds is a possibly annual event that seems to happen at random locations, and possibly random times, in order to keep law enforcement from being able to control the trade that occurs there. So I would say it is possible that all of the construction at the Bazaar is most likely very quickly fabricated, and may have been designed by the Zephyrites because they decided to show up this year, which text seems to indicate they do not always do. As for the Zephyrites, there is some text pointing to them being of Canthan or Elonian origin, but this most likely comes from the fact that no one in Tyria (continent) knows how they came to exist so they assume they must not be from here. But from the written text standpoint along with the lore that the Zephyrites themselves feel like revealing they are definitely from either Tyrian or Elonian decent because of their relation to the dragon, Glint. I personally hope that ArenaNet keeps their exact origins a mystical secret and this becomes a little enigma within the game that we never fully understand.

Pixelpumpkin.4608:

The Zephyrites docked in the Labyrinthine Cliffs, and then a market thing happened. Or the market there is a seasonal thing and the Zephyrites just decided to show up there this time.

The Bazaar of the Four Winds is always spontaneously occurring not really a seasonal thing, though it’s not very clear if the Bazaar formed there because of the Zephyrites docking or the other way.

Pixelpumpkin.4608:

• Is this a colony of Canthan origin? (architecture seems to indicate a connection.)
• Is the housing in Labyrinthine Cliffs temporary, and just used when the market takes place?
• Did the Zephyrites spontaneously build housing there? (I didn’t think Zephyrites had any connection to Canthan architecture. Also, … nothing they say indicates that the Zephyrites are the locals here.)

I guess my actual question is: how the hell do the Labyrinthine Cliffs locals get from A to B when the Zephyrites and their wind/sun/lightning aspect masters aren’t standing around with their crystals, which should be for most of the year?

I suspect it’s situation 2 or 3, or both – temporary buildings built by either the Bazaar and/or the Zephyrites. Point being though, it doesn’t seem to me that there are locals in Labyrinthine Cliffs. All of the generic NPCs are called Stranger, Merchant, Zephyrites, or some kid-crook term (Urchin, etc.). I don’t recall seeing a single NPC called “Local.”

For the reaching the buildings thing… that’s actually true for most towns and cities. Players just couldn’t normally reach them, yet they’re there. Garrenhoff and Divinity’s Reach are two cases coming to mind instantly. One can only presume that there’s some sort of staircase or building leading up that we don’t know of.

Pixelpumpkin.4608:

Who lives in the Labyrinthine Cliffs (ex-Zephyrites?) and why do they build crazy architecture like really high up housing?

I suspect no one, but there could easily be some.

It may even be the Zephyrites former Sanctum from before they found Glint’s corpse.

The only explanation I find is the Zephyrites funded the bazaar this time. The architecture is all Zephyrite-style. Maybe the place is a Zephyrite dock, and they invited the rest of the people for the bazaar just because.

It could make sense that after the dwarves left their homelands to go into the deeps to fight Destroyers, that the humans who took the place of the brotherhood moved into the dwarven ruins located in the Southern Shiverpeaks. Although I would have to say that this type of construction wouldn’t be very useful in a wintery atmosphere. It’s most likely that the construction that we see now is hastily built, not some ruins from when the humans started becoming Zephyrites.

I wouldn’t say 6 years is ruins. And given how Mount Maelstrom has existed for roughly 100 years at least, there’d not be much for a wintery atmosphere.

Okay, thanks for all the replies.

I wanted to make sure that I hadn’t missed anything.

Looking at the sheer number of houses in the Cliffs and comparing that to the size of the kite ship (is it the only kite ship?? Or just one of many Zephyrite ships?), I find it unlikely that the Zephyrites would just build that willy-nilly because they feel like having a bazaar.

I noticed the absence of NPCs that were visibly labelled as locals, although some of the traders could be living there.

But anyway, all this is speculation, and sadly I don’t think ANet will fully clear it up for us. I amnow convinced that the whole area is designed to be taken off the mal after this chapter, which is a shame.

But I created this thread because I wanted to make sure I hadn’t missed any important information, and now I know.

:)

There’s at least 11 ships seen on the world map, could be more. The one that’s landed is the largest of those we see though.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

There’s at least 11 ships seen on the world map, could be more. The one that’s landed is the largest of those we see though.

I forgot about that. I guess I assumed that they all belonged in the same convoy, but you’re right, that’s not a given.

Narcemus.1348:

Based on how I understood the introduction text, the Bazaar of the Four Winds is a possibly annual event that seems to happen at random locations, and possibly random times, in order to keep law enforcement from being able to control the trade that occurs there. So I would say it is possible that all of the construction at the Bazaar is most likely very quickly fabricated, and may have been designed by the Zephyrites because they decided to show up this year, which text seems to indicate they do not always do. As for the Zephyrites, there is some text pointing to them being of Canthan or Elonian origin, but this most likely comes from the fact that no one in Tyria (continent) knows how they came to exist so they assume they must not be from here. But from the written text standpoint along with the lore that the Zephyrites themselves feel like revealing they are definitely from either Tyrian or Elonian decent because of their relation to the dragon, Glint. I personally hope that ArenaNet keeps their exact origins a mystical secret and this becomes a little enigma within the game that we never fully understand.

They’re of Canthan and Elonian descent, according to the Priory’s records.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/LOR-748_Field_Reporter

That could be a spot where the bazaar has happened a number of times in the past. So some buildings have been built over the years. Or it could be an old village and the locals no longer live there, buildings have been repaired/modified for the bazaar.

I dont see why locals in such an area couldnt get around just by being adept climbers. And if it was an old village and the inhabitants have now moved on, then they could of had various bridges and ladders which have disintegrated over the years. So the bazaar had to build and use alternative tempory measures to get around the place.

All speculation ofcourse. But those are just my thoughts.

They are of both Canthan and Elonian descent as mentioned above, however as for WHO they really are as a group, well they claim to be the successors to the Dwarven Brotherhood of the Dragon with whom we interact with in GW1. Read the Trek of the Zephyrites on the site and this is revealed. The Brotherhood reveres Glint as a savior; to further the idea they are the new Brotherhood, simply go all the way to the back of the floating Sanctum and you will see a woman surrounded by children. She is teaching these kids about how wonderful Glint was and how she saved them all from being devoured by Kralkatorrik ages ago. Also, the Sanctum is filled with NPCs who who’ll sing a song occasionally about Glint and thankful they are she saved their lives. The Trek of the Zephyrites short story reveals that after Glint died these people traveled to the Crystal Desert to find her remains, many died in the harsh environment but they made it out alive with pieces of her crystal remains (Both Glint and Kralkatorrik are made of crystals).
So presumably these remains helped them form the magic they use in the aspect crystals.
One more interesting fact is that there is an Asura aboard the Sanctum who, if you speak with him, will tell you he thinks these people are hiding something.
Could he just be a jealous Asura? These darned Zephyrites built a flying city without crazy advanced tech! Or could he be on to them hiding Glints remains below deck?
Possibly they even have one of Glints two children aboard! (Two of her eggs went missing in GW1). Though they wouldn’t be babies anymore after 250 years, more like full blown Dragon Champion size.

Vahkris.6847:

They’re of Canthan and Elonian descent, according to the Priory’s records.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/LOR-748_Field_Reporter

It is confirmed that their origins is the Brotherhood of the Dragon.

LOR is based on fallible records of the Durmand Priory, is stated to be a belief, and says most not all.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Vahkris.6847:

They’re of Canthan and Elonian descent, according to the Priory’s records.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/LOR-748_Field_Reporter

It is confirmed that their origins is the Brotherhood of the Dragon.

LOR is based on fallible records of the Durmand Priory, is stated to be a belief, and says most not all.

“Brotherhood of the Dragon” is an organization, not a race. It doesn’t mean anything regarding where the members themselves came from.

Vahkris.6847:

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Vahkris.6847:

They’re of Canthan and Elonian descent, according to the Priory’s records.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/LOR-748_Field_Reporter

It is confirmed that their origins is the Brotherhood of the Dragon.

LOR is based on fallible records of the Durmand Priory, is stated to be a belief, and says most not all.

“Brotherhood of the Dragon” is an organization, not a race. It doesn’t mean anything regarding where the members themselves came from.

There is a lot of mis-information, rumor, and clashing beliefs about their existence. I mean there are Zephyrites who claim to have never set foot on ground while there is text stating that they most likely have only been flying for 6 years, and yet over that short amount of time they have attained an almost legend-like status? There’s information saying they are of Elonian/Canthan descent yet they very likely originated from Tyria or possibly Elona should the lore about their connection to Glint be truth and not more misinformation. I do want to point out one thing that I found very interesting these past few days. I have been exploring the world again on a new character and found something in Dredgehaunt that is rather strange.

There is a monastery located on the southern border not too terribly far from the ruins of the Granite Citadel. This monastery has some interesting architecture that I wish to point out. The oldest looking part is the exterior with black stone walls and wooden columns on top of the walls supporting a roof. This architecture if very reminiscent of Shing Jea Monastery, except for the fact that it is a little different. The columns are much shorter and the roofs are most definitely similar to dwarven construction. We do know, though, from GW1 that there was no monastery in that location originally, and that it must have been created within the last few centuries.

I want to theorize that if there is some truth about the Zephyrites being of Canthan origin, that this may be a location where the Zephyrites settled. I find it possible that perhaps a group of canthan refugees got waylaid and ended up somewhere in the crystal desert instead of Lion’s Arch (causing their interaction with Glint), or perhaps Kuunavang sent them, and there was come connection between the two that we did not know of. If the Zephyrites started taking over the role of the Brotherhood before the dwarves all underwent the rite, then it would make sense that some of their canthan culture would be mixed in with the dwarven culture surrounding them. It is a far flung theory, I understand, but looking at that monastery with zephyrites and canthans on the mind made me start to make some new connections, and the architecture itself definitely separates it from most anything located within Continental Tyria.

As for your statement on the construction and the cold, Konig. What I was stating is that the architecture that we see now, at the Bazaar of the Four Winds, is most likely not the architecture that the Zephyrites would have created during their origins. I mean the Zephyrites most likely started to take on their role before the dwarves all underwent the ritual, and in my mind this would most likely have been before the eruption at Mt. Maelstrom, and thus while the Southern Shiverpeaks were still wintery. Plus those dates would most likely have been hundreds of years ago, or at least 100 years ago, but definitely more than 6 years.

Vahkris.6847:

“Brotherhood of the Dragon” is an organization, not a race. It doesn’t mean anything regarding where the members themselves came from.

And your point?

The organization called “Zephyrites” was established by Tyrians, and spread elsewhere to take in a lot of Elonian and Canthan humans.

Narcemus.1348:

There is a lot of mis-information, rumor, and clashing beliefs about their existence.

-snip rest-

I wouldn’t say that for sure. With that whole “major plothole” thread folks kept bringing up and complaining about, no one really considered that we don’t have the full story.

Fun fact: we don’t.

I would go more into pointing out which “facts” you present are wrong or speculative, but I’ll leave it at this: read the next GuildMag magazine issue (due to be out Wednesday supposing everything gets done in time). As mentioned in another thread, there’s an interview with Anet. Zephyrites were one question (incidentally, the interview was the day before that short story came out, so there was “new” information there, but now it’s “repeat” – however the interview answers the question of descent and the whole legendary status of the people. But then again, so does pre-existing lore for the sanctum and view of the Zephyrites).

I will say this though: the short story never names Zephyr Sanctum, so why is everyone so sure that is the “new sanctum” being talked about?

Also, its the Zephyrites, not the sanctum necessarily, that is legendary. The sanctum wasn’t sure to exist, but the Zephyrites were.

Narcemus.1348:

-snip bit on Dredgehaunt monastery-

Interesting observations.

I had been thinking it to be a Priory base built before the dredge really got hostile to everyone. Don’t think there was any lore, but the angel statues there are from concept art titled Priory 2.

I wasn’t stating that there is a problem in the misinformation, rumor, or clashing beliefs, but that it was more of a link to it’s legendary status and the fact that we really don’t have the whole picture. What I was trying to state is that either people are trying to keep things about them as a secret, or people are just mis-reading what is known (and by people I mean In-game and IRL) Also, when I was there, I remember talking to a Priory individual that mentions that they moved into already existing ruins.