Guild Wars 2

So, I was wondering, where is the inspiration for the fights in the Queen’s Gauntlet coming from? From a lore perspective, I mean. Is there a Liadri in GW history or somewhere out in the world? What about Halmi with his dogs, or some of the others?

Or did Queen Jennah/the Shining Blade/whoever was in charge of setting the gauntlet up just make up all these villains off the top of their heads?

As far as I know, none of the named enemies fought in either the arena or the gauntlet have actual histories. Which is a shame.

I would have preferred fighting Bonfaaz Burntfur rather than Spar(ti)cus.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

As far as I know, none of the named enemies fought in either the arena or the gauntlet have actual histories. Which is a shame.

I would have preferred fighting Bonfaaz Burntfur rather than Spar(ti)cus.

With one exception, the crew of Ravenous

Right, forgot about them for a moment. Yes the crew of Ravenous has backstory. I don’t think the others do though.

Then again, I do recall another human nicknamed Deadeye… or was it just the risen in Arah?

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Right, forgot about them for a moment. Yes the crew of Ravenous has backstory. I don’t think the others do though.

Then again, I do recall another human nicknamed Deadeye… or was it just the risen in Arah?

There’s Deadeye Della, but it’s more likely that it’s just a title bandit sharpshooters like to add to their own.

I haven’t been up in the gauntlet much yet, but I’ve been told that the enemies don’t shatter like the ones below, indicating that they’re real. Likely just people with unique powers drawn by an opportunity to display their prowess (and one experimental ooze).

Aaron Ansari.1604:

I haven’t been up in the gauntlet much yet, but I’ve been told that the enemies don’t shatter like the ones below, indicating that they’re real. Likely just people with unique powers drawn by an opportunity to display their prowess (and one experimental ooze).

that’s how i felt about it. the game just despawns the enemy as soon as it’s dead (or you’re dead), and both of you are “disposed of” if the timer reaches zero, indicating it’s more like LA’s arena in edge of destiny than a bunch of watch knights being manipulated.

though if the crew of the ravenous was supposed to be dead, then… well…

The first mate and captain weren’t dead. Stitches or Adil weren’t seen previously though, but generically named pirates were. And they were recruiting to rebuild their crew.

well, then nothing points against the battles in the gauntlet being against real things. subject 7 would’ve made a really odd watch knight too…

I don’t think we kill them (story wise), they are more liekly teleported out as soon we down them. Tho this wont explain how some of them can be in multiple arenas at the same time.

Also it would be cool to see them apear outside of the queens gauntles, maybe fighting with us in future living story part, or give them a shortstory in the blog.

Are.1326:

I don’t think we kill them (story wise), they are more liekly teleported out as soon we down them. Tho this wont explain how some of them can be in multiple arenas at the same time.

Also it would be cool to see them apear outside of the queens gauntles, maybe fighting with us in future living story part, or give them a shortstory in the blog.

just having them hanging around in a lobby area with a line or two of dialogue would be cool enough for me. i don’t think every single being in the game needs a whole backstory to them.

BrunoBRS.5178:

just having them hanging around in a lobby area with a line or two of dialogue would be cool enough for me. i don’t think every single being in the game needs a whole backstory to them.

True. In fact, the only character I find interesting is Liadri, she apear to be a quite powerfull mesmer (like some other high ranking humans) and have the potential to get some interesting lore.

What we don’t know is that Liadri is actually Scarlet and is playing us all for fools

Deadeye’s an Aetherblade fighting in the Gauntlet in order to spy for Scarlet – when he isn’t fighting, he’s tampering with the Watchknights, trying to hack into their systems.

It does say something for human constructs that they don’t go on murderous rampages on a random whim, but that they instead have to be hacked and manipulated to do so. cough asura cough

I’m resurrecting this topic because I was just about to open a similar one in the Living world section. I’d love for ANet to expand the lore on these kinds of events. We are fighting, but we have no idea why or who.

The crew of “Ravenous” is an exception, but I sure would like to know who Liadri is or why she’s so powerful. I’d love the level of pre-planning that we would meet a character like Liadri in some story instance or in open world and then later would meet her again in this kind of tournament. It would make the world truly seem more … living, instead of just random things thrown together.

Maybe the announcer could give some lore and background on the fighters?

Subject 7 now has some amount of backstory – through Subject 6 in the Thaumanova Reactor Fractal.

And there was the picture for the Tier 1 foes released the other day, which does give their origin (“Hails from:”). And regarding that, this was brought to my attention by Thalador the other day, but Suriel comes from… Orr. And uses a “Book of Light” – which is interesting since Orr is Hebrew for “Light”. But it’s interesting, that she comes from Winterknell Shore. She’s also said to be “fanatical” and “worships light”.

Doobroosh seems to come from the village you evacuate in the PS if you have quaggan racial sympathy.

Are.1326:

True. In fact, the only character I find interesting is Liadri, she apear to be a quite powerfull mesmer (like some other high ranking humans) and have the potential to get some interesting lore.

In my opinion, I think Liadri is a Necromancer rather then a Mesmer, due to the fact she uses an enhanced version of the Death Shroud, and the Necrotic Grasp skill (Staff #1). and darkness is an concept mostly associated with Necromancers, however I do see it associated with Mesmers from time to time. But I would also like to know her lore, or at least have something to speculate on. She can easily be labeled as one of the most powerful people in the Guild Wars universe, so i’m hoping she isn’t just a faceless character.

As for Suriel, the fact she comes from Orr, may indicate her magic some how allows her to prolong her lifespan, so she may be hundreds of years old, from when Orr was still a thriving civilization. The fact her magic is very unique also indicates it could possibly be a lost form of magic, in that she uses the Book of Wrath, a Guardian elite skill, with a forcefield, similar to the Mesmer’s Chaos Armour skill.

What I really want to know, is why do they use magic that generates it’s own weakness, in the form of the voids formed by Suriel and Liadri’s magic, which shatters Suriel’s forcefield, and generates the light crystals to break Liadri’s Death Shroud. The fact their magic does generate its own weakness may be the reason why they are battling inside the Gauntlet, a controlled environment, rather then outside, where they may be easily killed.

I was just shown that the facebook has those fact cards for all of the gauntlet bosses, as well as the six ‘boss blitz’ ones. Apparently Liadri is from the Mire Sea… personality is “fascinated by darkness and cosmic spells”.

For those interested:

Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Blitz

Things of note (to me – including pre-mentioned stuff)

• Doobroosh comes from the evacuated Dredgehaunt Cliffs quaggan village from PS.
• Suriel comes from Curshed Shore (Winterknell Shores specifically) and has a “Book of Light” – is fanatical and worships light. (Clearly a risen, “the light fades…” :P)
• Masticus has “live long enough to know how to use his environment” showing that wags can get really smart (also, wargs are considered a type of dog – no surprise). And comes from Mount Maelstrom – I don’t recall many (or any) wargs there.
• Subject 7 confirmed from Thaumanova Reactor itself. Interesting since Subject 6 was made just before explosion – so Subject 7 is a post-explosion experiment?
• Deadeye Dunwell comes from a place in Harathi Hinterlands now under frequent centaur control.
• Liadri is from a now krait-infested location with little to no hint of human ties. Disguised krait witch, perhaps? :P

Boss Blitz folks are hard to see (thanks to the resolution level…) but the real bosses (since those we fight are mere Watchknights) are:

• Sparcus is from the largest Flame Legion Castrum (Provatum Castrum), in Fireheart Rise. Implies Godforged status to me, as they use that Castrum. Perhaps even a Tribune of the Flame Legion, given his special placement.
• Baines is from Earthlord’s Gap – in Kessex Hills. Likely the head of the bandits in that corner, given her special placement in the pavilion.
• Shurakk is from Otyugh’s Kraal, in Fields of Ruin.
• Pyroxis is from Mount Maelstrom’s eastern end, with “none” for personality – which points to the dragon minions’ mindlessness (especially Destroyers). Makes me wonder if it is tied to the creation of the volcano.
• Wiggin the Wicked is from Laughing Gull Island, meaning he was either a subordenant of Taidha Covington, or took over after her death.
• Kuraii is from War King’s Greatcamp, implying he’s a high ranking tactician/general of Ulgoth (or post-Ulgoth in the war).

Sans Pyroxis, the personalities don’t tell much unlike with some of the gauntlet bosses.

Shame that the real version of these bosses aren’t put into the open world. That’d be rather neat, especially since so many are near world boss meta events.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

And there was the picture for the Tier 1 foes released the other day, which does give their origin (“Hails from:”). And regarding that, this was brought to my attention by Thalador the other day, but Suriel comes from… Orr. And uses a “Book of Light” – which is interesting since Orr is Hebrew for “Light”. But it’s interesting, that she comes from Winterknell Shore. She’s also said to be “fanatical” and “worships light”.

Whoever designed her most likely drew inspiration from the angel bearing a similar name, Sariel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sariel

There are some wargs along the river, at least when the risen aren’t spawn camping them. None of that coloration, though- that’s exclusive to the ones in southern Lornar’s.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

For those interested:

Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Blitz.

Kitten! There goes my theory of Suriel and Liadri being sisters. I kinda thought the black and white patches on the ground during their fights were made by them to annoy each other.