Guild Wars 2

Can anyone point me in the direction behind the lore of fractals? Like uncategorized for example? Is there even lore?

There’s next to no stated lore, though some dev comments have given insights to various degrees. Such insights are on the fractal’s individual wiki articles. But to summarize what is known:

• All except potentially the Uncategorized Fractal are past events.
• Even the Mistlock Observatory seems to be a fractal – Dessa attempted to leave once, but just “reset” when walking through the asura gate, not knowing any of the visitors.
• Dessa seems to be from a time before the sylvari (she doesn’t recognize them) and post-LA reconstruction (likely in LA’s early rebuilding days, as she calls it a pirate haven which while still true isn’t as dangerous as she makes it out to be).
• Urban Battlegrounds is an alternate version of The Searing from GW1 – not the Foefire as many suspect.
• Aquatic Ruins Fractal is heavily implied to be a mixture of two times and places – one location being Elona, the other being Ascalon; the times are unclear.
• Cliffside Fractal is stated to be from the beginnings of human history on Tyria – so this would mean pre-Canthan establishment, most likely.
• Molten Furnace Fractal and Molten Boss Fractal are pieces of the Molten Facility dungeon from Flame and Frost.
• Aetherblade Fractal and Captain Mai Trin Boss Fractal are pieces of the Aetherblade Retreat dungeon from Sky Pirates of Tyria.
• Thaumanova Reactor Fractal is about the moments before the Thaumanova Reactor exploded, which happened shortly before the personal story (which took place 1325 AE).
• Solid Oceanic Fractal is of the Jade Sea while it’s petrified, the Jade Maw is a kraken that were common in the Jade Sea (though a redesigned and massive compared to GW1 krakens).

The rest we don’t really have much on. I do have theories though. And have even been thinking about making a thread on said theories.

I like to think Jade maw is Zhu Hanuku because how powerful it is compare to normal kraken.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

• Aquatic Ruins Fractal is heavily implied to be a mixture of two times and places – one location being Elona, the other being Ascalon; the times are unclear.

I still don’t see what’s supposed to be elonian about this fractal. The statues, that’s it. And as I have explained in the past, just because a statue looks vaguely egyptian doesn’t mean it’s egyptian. The same applies here, especially since the area doesn’t look particularly elonian and the humans in the beginng have the looks of Ascalonians/Krytans/maybe Orrians.

> The rest we don’t really have much on. I do have theories though. And have even been thinking about making a thread on said theories.

Please do! And if you have any on the PvP maps, I would love to hear them as well.

Interesting, didn’t know that the cliffside kind of hints about the early days of humans in tyria. I still do wonder what it is about that giant….

@Buddhakeks: When asked what the fractal was about and that people have noted things both Ascalonian and Elonian in style (imo, the fauna looks very much like Istan, as do the villager clothing and the presence of krait wouldn’t be found in Ascalon) and the devs response was basically that the fractals can sometimes mix times and places so Aquatic Ruins “could be” Ascalonian and Elonian – they didn’t really confirm it is a mix of those two, but they said it’s possible.

@Pixelpumpkin: Well….

Volcanic Fractal appears to be depicting the results of Primordus corrupting living and basically pulling a Jormag (intentinoally or not). First off, the Imbued Shaman holds a Destroyer Bow, which itself is a pretty decent hint; the Vampire Bats are oddly fiery as well, and there’s the “infused” stones that are on fire – infused with what? As a recent bonus: the model for the infused stones has been reused for the Heart of the Destroyer object at Mount Maelstrom for Mawdrey creation. And then finally there’s the final boss arena, being very similar to the arena of fighting the Great Destroyer – the boss causes lava to rise in what was cooled rock. But what convinces me that the fractal is basically showing a “what if” scenario of Primordus corrupting living beings was that in an interview Jeff, Ree, and Scott were asked if Volcanic Fractal related to Primordus, and while they dodged that question they talked about Primordus corrupting living beings, confirming such is possible and describing the process. Said process is that of encasing the being in stone and liquifying the body over time – “similar to icebrood”. Those who do the fractal frequently enough will know that the shaman encases himself in a bubble of stone before jumping into the pit of lava.

I believe that Snowblind Fractal takes place sometime between 1165 and 1169 AE. Reason why I think this is threefold: 1) The only icebrood we see are icebrood wolves, and we see some land corruption; but there isn’t a single icebrood norn, and the blizzard uses ice elementals rather than icebrood elementals. 2) When Jormag awoke, he caused a 4-year long blizzard before heading south; he awoke near the northern shores (far enough to seek out and capsize and divide the kodan sanctuaries but close enough to have caused an inland sea), so his influence during this blizzard would likely be minimal. 3) The boss’s name: Lornarr Dragon_seeker_. He’s seeking Jormag, thus Jormag hadn’t been found yet, but they know that Jormag’s a dragon so it likely rose. Thus, the norn had felt his influence, but not his personal wrath. So during the four year blizzard is most likely when the fractal happens.

Cliffside Fractal is a big speculation mode piece, as the only real hint we have is “it’s of humanity’s earliest times”. I would place it’s location around Sunrise Crest’s dual continent – the reason being is twofold: 1) While humanity was brought to the world at Arah by Dwayna, they had to return to the continent several centuries later via boat, so they were taken elsewhere; the question becomes where is that elsewhere? 2) We know that elsewhere wasn’t Cantha, as humanity also arrived, seemingly by boat, on Cantha from somewhere else. Going off of the map in the Durmand Priory, there are trade routes marked – one trade route goes from the Battle Isles to Sunrise Crest. I suspect Sunrise Crest is where humanity’s “first Tyrian civilization” lies. And thus, the location of the Fractal. There’s also a lot of obvious Canthan nods there – the rune on the seals, the apparent assassins and ritualists which are the novices and chanters respectively, and the spectral minions of the archdiviner. But while very Canthan… they also lack that Canthan feel to me. So I think this is proto-Canthan, which is known to be very Canthan as well – via Chong one of the oldest humans.

As for what’s happening there? Best guess I would say is that Dhuum is trying to ascend into godhood. Yup, Archdiviner = Dhuum and colossus = Dhuum’s predecessor. That’s my theory. Why? Well, the Archdiviner is downright necromantic – wells, minions, etc. If necromancers had hammers and were OP, the archdiviner is how I’d picture them. The archdiviner also has the same base setup in clothing as Dhuum (hood, skulls on weapons, using minions). And for why I think the colossus is a god? Aside from Prometheus – a story of gods and gods’ predecessors – being the inspiration for the fractal, it’s the shine to the body. Gods are stated to be glowing and bright to look at, and while not blinding the colossus is curiously shiny. What’s most curious to me, however, is that when you kill the Archdiviner, he sinks into the ground with nature’s growth surrounding him (Healing Springs animation) while he’s grasping at his throat as if he is in immense pain – as if his actions there kitten ed him to the vengeance of another being… namely, I would say, Melandru. A goddess who pushed for peace would certainly want to punish a man who’s acted in violence and torture of others with a weapon that would punish others but not himself if used (another thing similar to Dhuum – Dhuum laid out rules that others cannot do, but broke the rules himself by all appearances). Another similarity is that deaths charged the hammer – and deaths in the Underworld made Dhuum more powerful. And while never said to have had a predecessor, Dhuum is curiously absent from the list of gods who traveled to Tyria. Grenth may be called the first Tyria-born god, but I wonder if that’s true or just forgotten… And even then, maybe this is so early that it was still the generation of humans that came into Tyria.

I’m probably a bit incoherent but that’s my theory, more or less, on Cliffside.

I don’t really have anything for Uncategorized or Swamp. Underground (aka dredge) I think is far too ambiguous to tell, and at that I can’t see it being of great importance; best we can figure is that it is post-GW1.

BuddhaKeks.4857:

Konig Des Todes.2086:

• Aquatic Ruins Fractal is heavily implied to be a mixture of two times and places – one location being Elona, the other being Ascalon; the times are unclear.

I still don’t see what’s supposed to be elonian about this fractal. The statues, that’s it. And as I have explained in the past, just because a statue looks vaguely egyptian doesn’t mean it’s egyptian. The same applies here, especially since the area doesn’t look particularly elonian and the humans in the beginng have the looks of Ascalonians/Krytans/maybe Orrians.

Ancient Ascalonian architecture is something the devs use all around the mists and Tyria when they are portraying ruins not significant enough to come up with something for them.

The ocean fractal has: unique Elonian statues and some ancient ruins (Ascalonian, as always), so it’s safe to say that the fractal is Elonian and the devs simply did not want to come up with more Elonian stuff for it and instead slapped some overused Ascalonian to it.

witcher.3197:

Ancient Ascalonian architecture is something the devs use all around the mists and Tyria when they are portraying ruins not significant enough to come up with something for them.

The ocean fractal has: unique Elonian statues and some ancient ruins (Ascalonian, as always), so it’s safe to say that the fractal is Elonian and the devs simply did not want to come up with more Elonian stuff for it and instead slapped some overused Ascalonian to it.

What’s elonian about these statues? The statues of Istan were clearly influenced by egyptian/nubian art, the statues in the fractal only look vaguely egyptian, they remind me more of ancient greek statues from the geometric period (which were in turn based on egyptian style but with less details).

The fauna also isn’t too much to go on, it’s pretty much mediterranean themed. The Krait never appeard in Ascalon, but neither did they in Elona, so they are no hint to where it is either. The whole thing might as well be set in ancient Orr or southern Kryta. Depending on where such cliffs we see in the beginning could be.

I guess the devs “could be” regarding it being a mix was born from the fact that they didn’t really think about the lore of this one and they didn’t want to put a damper on the fan speculation. I think going around and just telling people it’s a mix of Ascalon and Elona like it is a proven fact isn’t the best thing to do here.

I leave that up to your interpretation. I bolded the main line in my opinion.

@Witcher: Ascalonian ruins actually only exist in Ascalon and the Mists – which could very easily be replicating Ascalonian ruins. I cannot think of a single place in Tyria that is outside Ascalon with those sets of ruins. The only possibility I can think of would be Fort Koga.

Well yeah it’s Drax, the interviewer, that brings up the idea of it being an ascalonian-elonian mix, not one of the writers. If he asked for an ascalonian-orrian mix, I bet you the answer would have been the same. So as I said nothing even remotely confirmed, Anet just did the equivalent of saying “that’s nice sweetie” like a granny when the grandchild keeps telling stories from school.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Interview response that I mentioned

hide spoiler

GuildMag (Draxynnic): Fair enough… okay, let’s move onto some questions we had regarding Fractals. Okay so, in a previous interview with TowerTalk there was a tease of a mention of about just when the Cliffside Fractal takes place, but we still don’t know much about the Underwater and Volcanic Fractals. In the former we see some sunken statues which look a bit Elonian but the surrounding ruins feel Ascalonian. Can you shed some light on when and where that takes place?

ArenaNet (Scott McGough) : Uh, not very much I’m afraid. I feel like I’m letting you down here. But yeah, the existing fractals are all scattered far and wide throughout Tyria’s history and pre-history. Some of these things are from the time of myth and legend and so we can’t exactly verify exactly how they happened or how they connect to the modern world. That one, uh… yeah, I’m afraid that’s just going to have to be my answer for now.

ArenaNet (Jeff Grubb) : One of the things with Fractals is because they’re in the Mists, they are echoes. They are not true history, they are basically the resonant history.

ArenaNet (Scott McGough) : Exactly, yes.

ArenaNet (Jeff Grubb) : So therefore you’re seeing a lot of combined feelings coming in sometimes. Maybe there is a place that had that Ascalonian Elonian crossover area. But just as easily, it may be the effect of the Mists.

ArenaNet (Scott McGough) : And, check me on this guys, the Mists as we define them – the Mists by definition: anything that can be there, or has been, can show up in the Mists. So we get some strange pairings sometimes. Sometimes, for examples, in the Urban fractal, it’s a recreation of the battle for Ascalon, but it’s not – it’s a recreation, not the actual – there’s no time travel involved, you’re not taking part in the actual battle.

ArenaNet (Ree Soesbee) : If it was just the actual battle, if it was just a very precise rendition of history, you couldn’t go fight there, you couldn’t do things there. The Mists very much are flexible because they’re like memories – you can go back in your own minds and sort of write someone into a memory where they weren’t there and what would have happened ‘if this person went to the movies with us.’ And the fractals are very simpler, the Mists are very simpler.

ArenaNet (Jeff Grubb) : It also makes it easier for the players who are of other races. No one’s saying ‘hey what’s an asura doing here’ or ‘what is this strange leafy creature.’ It opens the entire pasts for all of our races. Which is a cool thing and we basically use that as a sounding board and a starting place like our PvP Raid on the Capricorn, that’s a piece of history, there weren’t any norn there.

I leave that up to your interpretation. I bolded the main line in my opinion.

@Witcher: Ascalonian ruins actually only exist in Ascalon and the Mists – which could very easily be replicating Ascalonian ruins. I cannot think of a single place in Tyria that is outside Ascalon with those sets of ruins. The only possibility I can think of would be Fort Koga.

The Cliffside fractal also has Ascalonian architecture, it’s a very cheap excuse to say that nearly every ancient ruin that is not singificant for the plot is Ascalonian because.. coz uh.. mists.

Fort Koga is a good example I think: they did not have the current Silverwastes keep designs when they made Koga, so they used Ascalonian as usual.

Well I never said confirmed. I said heavily implied. Which, in my opinion, it is.

The interview doesnt really imply anything other than there really isnt any pre conceived lore for some of the fractals. They are deliberately vague to enhance the mystery of the fractals.

The ascalonian elonian comment is just there to seed some speculation for the fun of speculation, that seems fairly straightforward from the first response. The whole interview alludes to the fractals being interpretable however you, as the player, want to interpret them. Which i find a pretty cool concept.

That in my book is the great attraction of the early fractals.

Also of note, which I don’t think anyone in this thread mentioned, is Dessa’s boyfriend whom she allegedly lost to the mists. I’ve led myself to believe that this boyfriend of hers became the “Raving Asura” you see in the harpy fractal. For the longest time, I never noticed that Dessa leaves you to the fractal on your own at the beginning. “I…….gotta go…” Then at the end, after the Raving Asura has his little moment, she speaks to you again, apologizing for leaving you earlier. I’m sure this has been discussed elsewhere in the Lore forums, but it’s my opinion nevertheless.

She says she lost her boyfriend to the Consortium, not the Mists.

Aaron Ansari.1604:

She says she lost her boyfriend to the Consortium, not the Mists.

I checked the wiki, and it corroborates this. Where the blazes did I get the idea that he was lost to the Mists?? Man. I suppose this invalidates my theory that the Raving Asura in the Uncategorized Fractal is Dessa’s lost boyfriend. Or it at least invalidates my logic behind it. I am still curious why Dessa stops communicating at the beginning of the fractal and resumes once you defeat the cat golems.

She resumes after you leave the jail, actually. Before you encounter the first cat golem.