Guild Wars 2

The reason lovecraftian beasts are often related to the sea, is that Lovecraft was afraid of the ocean and the creatues that live in it. (unlike me, so many tasty creatures in it! yummy).
Lovecraft was also a bit of a racist and xenophobic, often making “primitive” tribal people into cultists that follow the old ones. Does that mean anyone with a tribal background is lovecraftian? Of course not, nobody thinks that (I hope), so why apply the label lovecraftian to anything from the deep sea?

Do you know that we know more about outer space than we do about that truly lurks down in the depths of our oceans? That’s a scary thought, really.

The terrors of the deep is just as Lovecraftian as the terror from outer space. You have Innsmouth and the Deep Ones. Mother Dagon and Father Hydra. Cthulhu and the sunken city of R’yleh.

Also, Lovecraft wasn’t really racist in the sense that he merely held views the default for his time. Not like actual racists today who live in this enlightenment time yet still cling to such stupid notions.

Yes I know that about the sea, and I get how you can be scared by it, I was just mentioning that I’m personally am not. In fact I’m more fascinated than scared by teh deep sea.
As I said, coming from the ocean depths is part of many of Lovecrafts creations, but far from all (Cthulhu might reside in the deep but he is actually from space). The defining trait of all Lovecraftian horrors is being ancient and so scary they drive you insane, only one of which applies to the Karka. But also only partially, they are never said to live very long, just their species is very old, thus they are more like, let’s say Coelacanths.
Also notice, I said Lovecraft was a bit of a racist, more than the standart of his time though. He wasn’t xenophobic to all non-whites, he for example admired middle-eastern culture, but he was regarding people he thought of as primitive.

The reason why karka are not Lovecraftian is because what “Lovecraftian” means in reference to horrors is the horror of unknowably unimaginatively large entities that make not just humans but the human race seem so entirely insignificant the very thought of such entities promote a nihilistic view on life – or insanity, depending on your take.

Lovecraftian isn’t “ancient and from the ocean depths” – even if Lovecraftian creatures are ancient and from the ocean depths. That’s just an addendum to what they are!

In this sense, the closest thing to a true Lovecraftian entity would be the DSD, but in a more broader sense it’d be the Elder Dragons as a whole, though poorly portrayed due to Zhaitan’s death, as they’re meant to be titanic creatures of unknowable proportions that make the modern races and their contributions to be insignificant. The Lovecraftian-ness with the Elder Dragons once you hit the “they can be overcome by uniting together” bit – or hell, just the “they can be overcome” part.

The fact that Lovecraft held a focus on deep sea life or was racist to variously arguable degrees (I wouldn’t say placing tribes as being the prime worshippers of the Old Ones to be racist – I’m not racist and I say such things are perfect situations other than outright messed-up-in-the-head cultists which is way overplayed nowadays anyways) are both irrelevant to what is Lovecraftian.

Anyways, using the sylvari as an example for why karka could be immune is fairly poor reasoning, given how unique sylvari are (came out of seemingly no where, driven by an unexplained force (the Dream of Dreams) to fight the Elder Dragons, sentient and sapient plants, etc).

Well Lovecraft was racist, his portrayal of native americans, polynesians and Inuit for example is pretty negative in all stories where they appear.
To quote wikipedia: “Racism is the most controversial aspect of Lovecraft’s works which “does not endear Lovecraft to the modern reader” and comes across through many disparaging remarks against the various non-Anglo-Saxon races and cultures within his work.”

He was more of a cultural “snob” than a biological racist though, since he respected people of such heritage if they assimilated into the Anglo-Saxon culture, like his jewish wife.
Another quote: “While Lovecraft’s racial attitude has been seen as directly influenced by the time, a reflection of the New England society he grew up in, this racism appeared stronger than the popular viewpoints held at that time.”
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._P._Lovecraft

I wasn’t really saying Lovecraft wasn’t racist, only that the degree of claims is arguable (but hell, what isn’t arguable?). Either way, way off topic.

Yeah my post was more directed at Oglaf than you, since we pretty much agree on all points anway. But your right, we should get back on track.

MatthewMedina.5419:

The karka are an old, old species so they have encountered Elder Dragons and their minions before…and they’re certainly smart enough to understand the threat they represent.

Oooooh, does this mean that as the Southsun Cove area is expanded, we’ll find the Champion Karka scratching “NO KILL I” in the sand and realize that they’re really a peaceful species who didn’t understand what we were and just wanted to protect their eggs from marauding invaders? Will Queen Jennah make a daring attempt to mind-meld with it in order to find out the truth? Will we have to save it by patching up its shell with concrete?

I’ve never seen any branded Asura or Norn either whats up with that?

Dante.1508:

I’ve never seen any branded Asura or Norn either whats up with that?

They’re not native to the region.

The more I think about it, the more I want the karka to actually be intelligent.

Its just as likely they’re old enough that they sort of evolutionarily learned to flee from dragons, the same way a wildebeast flees from a lion.

Still… I’d much rather they actually have a primitive sapience… say a grawl level of intelligence. The Grawl are laughable only because they’re impressionable and relatively manageable in terms of size and power. Now, take that level of intelligence, remove the desire to deify things and the basic tribal society… and turn it in to a giant crab society that hits like a truck and has a vested familial interest in every single member of the species.

That’s scary. That’s a race that would sign up with dragons in the mold of the Sons of Svanir just to punt we tiny things around for killing its momma.

PopeUrban.2578:

Its just as likely they’re old enough that they sort of evolutionarily learned to flee from dragons, the same way a wildebeast flees from a lion.

But do wildebeest have many generations born into a world in which the lions are all sleeping for centuries (or more)? Seems to me that would inhibit development of that particular instinct.

Genetic memory, perhaps?

RoyHarmon.5398:

PopeUrban.2578:

Its just as likely they’re old enough that they sort of evolutionarily learned to flee from dragons, the same way a wildebeast flees from a lion.

But do wildebeest have many generations born into a world in which the lions are all sleeping for centuries (or more)? Seems to me that would inhibit development of that particular instinct.

Consider that Karka live for extremely extended periods of time. We don’t have any hard numbers on the Karka life cycles aside from that they live a “very long time” but it wouldn’t suprise me if the Ancient Karka was at least as old as humanity, and the vets/champions at least a few hundred years old.

The Risen Priestess of Dwayna is a risen Largos, right? Someone here mentioned that Largos can’t be risen, but I’m pretty sure she is one.

Ponder.3647:

The Risen Priestess of Dwayna is a risen Largos, right? Someone here mentioned that Largos can’t be risen, but I’m pretty sure she is one.

No… she’s and ex-human like the rest of the Orrians. I’m guessing she’s just really freaky looking, like most high tier undead.

She has the wings though :/ Ah well.

Ponder.3647:

She has the wings though :/ Ah well.

I hear you. But it would make no sense for an Orrian priestess of Dwayna to have been anything but human.

Ponder.3647:

She has the wings though :/ Ah well.

Wings can be part of an outfit or costume.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Ponder.3647:

She has the wings though :/ Ah well.

Wings can be part of an outfit or costume.

Especially for a priestess of Dwayna.

Ninth Requiem.3250:

Actually, there is a risen Largos.
It’s encountered in an event in Bloodtide Coast, called an “Orrian Terror”. I think it’s part of an event chain in Castavall – you can fight it there, or (I believe if that event is failed) on Mistarion beach.

I’m not sure if the Orrian Terror is a Risen Largo. But there is a picture of a Risen Largo virtual model done by the character artist of GW2.
It is unknown to me if this model was scrapped or it just hasn’t been implemented yet. Still, it’s pretty well done.

That model is, as have been said, reused for the Risen Priestess of Dwayna (and Risen High Priestess of Dwayna).

She does look unmistakeably like a Largos.

I guess the developers had at one point intended for Risen Largos, and then reused the model for the Priestess. I like her boobs on that purple render. it looks like they’re being supported by two xenomorph facehuggers. kitten lucky facehuggers…

Konig Des Todes.2086:

That model is, as have been said, reused for the Risen Priestess of Dwayna (and Risen High Priestess of Dwayna).

It is however undeniably a Largo.

Hermes.7014:

Konig Des Todes.2086:

That model is, as have been said, reused for the Risen Priestess of Dwayna (and Risen High Priestess of Dwayna).

It is however undeniably a Largo.

Model-wise yes, lore-wise no.

I never denied such. I’m merely stating that, in-game, it is the Risen Priestess/High Priestess of Dwayna. A human.

Originally it might have been intended to be a risen largos, but what it is now is a risen human.

DaShi.1368:

Any chance of Karka as a future playable race?

Karka Mesmer:

Karka Mesmer performs mind-shattering barrel roll!

Blackgate Invader pressed Z or R Twice!

Kerithlan.1659:

Konig Des Todes.2086:

I do hope you’re just being sarcastic there, which I’m fairly sure you are, seeing how nothing says or implies largos can’t be corrupted.

Since the game models comprise the game and thus populate Tyria, the lack of a corrupted largo model means they are immune to corruption. We see Dougal in-game so we know he exists, and we see images of and references to Snaff, so he obviously exists as well.

p leads to q, but that does not mean that not p leads to not q. Or more formally:
p → q =/= ^p → ^q.

It is a very common mistake in logic and I won’t blame you for it. Just understand that your argument is false.

Frosty and Frosty Law Firm.4981:

DaShi.1368:

Any chance of Karka as a future playable race?

Karka Mesmer:

Karka Mesmer performs mind-shattering barrel roll!

Blackgate Invader pressed Z or R Twice!

Blackgate Invader Evades!
Blackgate Invader Evades!
Blackgate Invader takes 9001 Damage from Karka Mesmer’s barrel Roll
Blackgate Invader is down, press F to revive
[local]Blackgate Invader: Nooooooo!
[local]Blackgate Invader: Nooooooo!
[local]Blackgate Invader: Nooooooo!