Guild Wars 2

This post presents an interpretation of some of the events described in chapters 27-33 of Robert J. King’s novel, “Edge of Destiny”.

Introduction
The written account of Snaff’s clash with Kralkatorrik reads like a story of the former’s trial of ascension. According to the Guild Wars 1 wiki,

“Ascension is described as a state of communion with the Old Gods. Among other benefits, those who succeed in attaining it are able to travel through the Mists, and with the right help can unlock hidden reserves of power. As well as being masters of their primary chosen heroic profession, Ascendants are able to grasp, to an extent, elements of all the other professions.”

The writer of the wiki (henceforth referred to as “The Writer” for the sake of brevity) goes on to note that,

“Many…have traveled to the Crystal Desert to Ascend, seeking the guidance of the gods or believing that the prophesied few were among them, and almost all have failed.”

Many have tried, many have failed, including Snaff. What went wrong?

Destiny’s Edge Approach Glint’s Lair
The Writer states that at least one group of those who journeyed into the Crystal Desert, led by Turai Ossa, failed to ascend because they were torn apart by the internal strife borne of mistrust.

When Destiny’s Edge approached Glint’s Lair, they were almost torn apart too. Glint allowed each member of Destiny’s Edge to hear their associates’ thoughts, all of which were initially bigoted, racist, and sexist. Only Caithe’s simplicity saved the guild when she surmised that Destiny’s Edge were being tested by Glint. Realizing this, the group rallied and were able to see through an illusion concealing the she-dragon’s lair.

It would seem from the guild’s experience that Turai Ossa’s people may have succumbed to Glint’s test.

The question is what Glint’s test was intended to do. Was it meant to keep her safe? Glint didn’t parade herself before humanity; she hid in a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert – the point being that her hiding-place was deserted. Its almost as though Glint didn’t want to be found. Even her custodians had the kind of name that one tends to forget.

Did Destiny’s Edge correctly interpret the nature of Glint’s test? The thing about Destiny’s Edge is that they weren’t searching for Glint to exchange pleasantries; no, they were hunting her. What do you think she was trying to do then? Is it any wonder that the she-dragon entrusted the last of her eggs to someone other than a member of Destiny’s Edge? She was trying to splinter the guild, to cause the group to come unstuck at a crucial moment. She was protecting herself.

Thus, Destiny’s Edge did not pass the first test. Sure, they managed to rally and pierce Glint’s illusion, but their intention remained the same: they would kill Glint. It would be a mistake that would cost them dearly.

What Might Have Happened

Let’s take a moment to consider what might have happened if the group had correctly interpreted Glint’s test. Snaff would not have died. But the guild still had and has lessons to learn.

Glint Sends Logan Away
This interpretation of the events of the fateful day on which Destiny’s Edge battled Kralkatorrik hinges on the idea that it was Glint, not Jennah, who sent Logan away in order to derail the guild’s attempt to kill the Elder Dragon of Crystal. To demonstrate that this is a viable interpretation, we need to prove the following:

1. Glint did not think that Destiny’s Edge could kill Kralkatorrik.
2. Glint knew of Logan’s pact with Jennah, and of Snaff’s handheld portal generator.
3. Glint had a motive to do what she did.

Glint Did Not Think That Destiny’s Edge Could Kill Kralkatorrik
Destiny’s Edge never had a show-in-hell of defeating Glint. Fighting the guild was mere child’s-play for the ancient she-dragon. They came at her with explosive arrows, a spinning hammer, flaming sword, white stilettos, and golems. It is said that she merely batted the explosive arrows aside with a sweep of her tail. We don’t learn what the other weapons might have done. The confrontation was over as quickly as it started and Destiny’s Edge were soon on the back foot, questioning themselves within the dragon’s lair moreso than they ever had approaching it.

The guild had never fought a dragon, let alone an Elder Dragon. What’s more, if their weapons were weak against Glint, they were pitiful against Kralkatorrik. The only reason Destiny’s Edge even had a chance against Kralkatorrik is because i) Glint fought alongside them and ii) Glint provided them with a weapon that could harm the Elder Dragon.

The other problem with the guild’s plan is that it was hastily formed at the last minute. They intended to kill Glint, only to exceed their reach by grasping for Kralkatorrik.

Now think of Glint’s fight with Kralkatorrik. Glint originally proposed that she would engage Kralkatorrik, forcing the latter groundward, exposing his breast so that Rytlock Brimstone could launch a spear at Kralkatorrik’s heart. The problem with this plan is that it was doomed to fail and Glint knew it. When Glint finally did provoke Kralkatorrik, it was a matter of merely a few minutes, perhaps even moments before she was crushed in his jaws. If Glint knew that her plan would fail and that Rytlock would never launch the spear, why did she propose it? Did Glint even intend for Destiny’s Edge to fight Kralkatorrik?

Glint knew that she would die fighting her former master. A solitary creature, she wanted to die alone. If Glint really did want to kill Kralkatorrik, to emerge victorious from her fight against him, she could have fielded a sizeable army of forgotten, dwarves, or even humans to help her. She certainly didn’t need Destiny’s Edge and the recent revelation in the Living Story Season 2 that she entrusted her egg to someone other than a member of the guild demonstrates that they didn’t factor highly in her departure plans.

No, Glint did not think that Destiny’s Edge could kill Kralkatorrik…

“I know the fight that is ahead of you, and your vanishing hope of success.”

“You cannot match the will of an Elder Dragon.”

Glint Knew Of Logan’s Pact With Jennah, And Of Snaff’s Handheld Portal Generator
Both Logan Thackeray and Ogden Stonehealer recently re-emerged into the spotlight of the Living Story, spouting on about the uniqueness of Glint. Apparently, Glint’s ability to read minds, coupled with her mastery of the languages of the lesser races, provided her with the opportunity to develop symbiotic relationships with said races that would make other dragons – particularly Elder Dragons – blush. I’m not sure what to make of either Logan or Ogden. Thus far, I wouldn’t have pinned either as the foremost expert on dragons. Logan’s experience with dragons extends only to the battle against Zaithan. Ogden, of course, may have conversed with Glint, but aside from this his knowledge of dragons is largely theoretical. Ogden is a true scholar – he doesn’t fight dragons, he leaves that to grunts like Logan Thackeray.

Which is why neither Logan nor Ogden are technically correct about the uniqueness of Glint. Sure, she could read minds, but there is evidence that Zaithan could too. In the Personal Story instance “The Source of Orr”, the Sovereign Eye of Zaithan discerns the intention of the PC upon beholding him or her, then appeals to the PC during the ensuing fight, stating, ‘“I see in your heart that you have lost someone to Zhaitan…Come to Zhaitan, and find everything you have lost”’. Nor is the PC the only person to experience this phenomenon. Several instances earlier, in “A Light In The Darkness”, the sylvari Tegwen remarks on eyes she saw in the darkness, “Great glowing eyes that cut into [her] soul”. The link between the eyes of a dragon and it’s ability to read minds seems fairly certain. Glint, for example, also discerns details about individuals when she looks at them. When Destiny’s Edge converses with the she-dragon, Glint stares into Eir’s eyes, before declaring, “’I know who you are, Eir Stegalkin…I know the fight that you have fought and the damage that you have done to dragonkind…’”

Glint is also rumored to have possessed prophetic abilities. Several players have questioned the extent of these abilities, and rightly so. For whilst Glint’s ability to read minds made it easier for her to identify her targets, the same ability in no way made it easier for her to determine which of them would be more successful in their attempts to injure either her or Kralkatorrik. In fact, Glint’s ability to foresee the future seems to be linked to a meditative state (into which she enters on several occasions whilst conversing with Destiny’s Edge) in which she visualizes a sequence of events and weighs the probability of outcomes. Hence, her judgment is far from perfect.

Throughout her conversation with them, Glint seems to betray a knowledge of at least three things about Destiny’s Edge that she could only have read from their minds.

1) She betrays a knowledge of Eir’s past;
2) She betrays a knowledge of Faolain and that the latter incited the guild to turn on Glint (‘“I can’t [deceive you], but a wretch from the Nightmare Court can?”’);
3) She betrays a knowledge of Snaff’s ability to command sand into golems
(‘”Do you know what I can do with these?” Glint seemed almost to smile. “What?”’).

If Glint knew these things about Destiny’s Edge, it is almost certain that she knew two other important things too: that Jennah had bound Logan to her and that Snaff had the means to unite Logan and Jennah.

Glint Had A Motive To Do What She Did
What is ascension all about? What happens when an individual enters into a state of communion with the “Old Gods”? I’m not sure that any player could actually answer that. Nevertheless, ascension may play a pivotal role in our understanding of dragon.

If you could pick a candidate for ascension from amongst the members of Destiny’s Edge on that fateful day when they stood before Glint, who would you have chosen? Snaff, right? After all, Snaff stared down Jormag. Surely that counts for something, and no other member of Destiny’s Edge would’ve even dared to compare their deeds to such a feat. So, Snaff it would be then.

Now Snaff wasn’t perfect, but he was becoming increasingly pure throughout his trials. Snaff’s greatest weakness was his pride; his greatest strength, his self-control. Through Glint’s efforts, Snaff was able to enter Kralkatorrik’s mind. But first, he would have to pass a test.

The Doppelganger: War Within Oneself

“Your Ascension is close at hand. But do not let your success go to your head. I was once mortal like you. I thought I had everything well in hand. That was hundreds of years ago, but I have yet to reach the Hall of Heroes.”

“It is a powerful artifact that can focus the gaze of the gods upon you. Without it, you will be unable to Ascend. Once you have completed the three Tests of Ascension, you will head to Augury Rock. There, the gaze of the gods will be focused by the Vision Crystal upon you. If you pass their scrutiny, you will be allowed to enter the final test and prove yourself worthy of Ascension once and for all.”

Snaff would first have to fight against himself. “But”, you say, “Snaff never fought against himself”. Are you sure? A careful examination of King’s text suggests that when Snaff was peering into his reflection in Kralkatorrik’s eye, he was actually fighting against himself. Snaff’s first attempt to master himself failed; it was only when Zojja interrupted her master that Snaff was spared corruption. Snaff’s next attempt to master himself was successful. Metaphorically speaking, he bested his doppelganger. What happens next is fascinating. Snaff is transported through Kralkatorrik’s eye into another plane, similar to an ascendant’s ability to travel into the Mists. Did Snaff actually travel into the Mists? It is unclear. Some players have theorized that the dragons may in fact be realms, or planes of existence, within the Mists, and this portion of the story of Snaff’s battle with Kralkatorrik does lend some credence to the theory.

Just as importantly, Snaff realizes something: that he knows how to calm the storm that is Kralkatorrik’s mind. What is Snaff metaphorically doing at this point? He is assembling a broken crystal. Which crystal? The vision crystal, perhaps, or maybe something even more profound. However, we cannot ignore the subtle reference to the vision crystal that is made here. Furthermore, it is clear at this point that Snaff has unlocked hidden powers. The nature of the text suggests that Snaff always knew what he realized, he just lacked the spark of purity to help him see it clearly.

The fact that Snaff reaches his conclusion about how to calm the storm of Kralkatorrik’s mind from within the context of said mind is strongly indicative of the fact that a being cannot achieve perfection until it enters the mind of a dragon. The question, however, is not whether this is the point at which perfection can be achieved, but what it will mean for both being and dragon.

But then something goes wrong. Snaff’s pride became his downfall. The nature of his thoughts reveals the rise of his old thorn-in-the-flesh. When drawing Kralkatorrik’s attention, Snaff thinks of three things. These are:

1) Mathematics.
2) The smile on Zojja’s face when she invented a new ankle joint for her golem.
3) The look of shock and betrayal on Klab’s (Snaff’s rival) face when he became the director of pest control.

Like Abaddon, Snaff fell. Why? Think about the nature of Snaff’s thoughts. The first two are altruistic. The last, however, is selfish and proud. The final thought isn’t about reconciliation, but competition. You see, Snaff was too proud to receive the award, “Director of Pest Control”, so he manipulated the prize-giving ceremony at which he might have received it in order to avoid the ignominy of his peers.

Snaff, Snaff, Snaff. What have you done? The asuran genius’s strategy was flawed in that he merely wanted to control the dragon, rather than command it’s respect. Had Snaff done both, he would have achieved something more that day.

Chaos And Order
Before I conclude this post, let me point out that Kralkatorrik’s mind is chaos, whereas Snaff’s mind is order. The two opposites combined would achieve balance. Snaff clearly had the power to restore balance, as he was capable of causing Kralkatorrik to drop from the sky, furiously scratching the itch within his spine from the old wound that he had suffered – that is to say, Snaff was strong enough, at least for a time, to bring order to chaos. However, Snaff’s pride ensured his demise. The moment he turned from reconciliation to competition, he incurred the hatred of Kralkatorrik, for it was after Snaff thought of his rivalry with Klab that it is said that Kralkatorrik flew into a rage. Prior to that, Kralkatorrik is said to merely be intensely interested in Snaff’s activity.

Speculation On The Lesson Of Snaff’s Failure
Turai Ossa once said that he had waited ‘“for many centuries [in the Crystal Desert], waiting for the Prophecy to come to pass. The Chosen ones will come and help me gain access to the Mists and pass into the Hall of Heroes. It has all been foreseen."’ As many players of the Living Story know, Turai Ossa recently reappeared. What if he did so because the prophecy is yet to be fulfilled? What if Destiny’s Edge are “chosen ones” who will do what others could not?

Snaff was eventually replaced by someone else: the PC. Like Snaff, the PC has touched the mind of a dragon (you may recall the vision of the Eternal Alchemy) and is said to be strong-willed (sylvari PCs, for example, state that they are too strong to fall to Mordremoth when conversing with the Pale Tree). I think that the PC is meant to replace Snaff because the latter was found unworthy. And this brings us to the true motive for Glint sending Logan away:

She was sacrificing Snaff in order to save the rest of Destiny’s Edge. You see, as long as Snaff fought, a united Destiny’s Edge – chosen ones – would fight alongside him and die alongside him. If they did, the premonitions of Glint would never come to pass. Thus, when Glint tells Eir that Destiny’s Edge must stand together to prevail, she is encouraging Eir to rally the remnants of her guild following the loss of Snaff, so that the guild can actually achieve what they are meant to achieve.

And I don’t think that they are meant to kill dragons.

“I see you are indeed competent. Guards, let them pass. We wish to view them up close…Still so far away. Are you that afraid? Come closer, we wish to see you more clearly.”

“Listen. Vast energies flow through and around Tyria, and I saw a dragon. It…um…It was part of the workings of the world. It came at me.”

kitten , what a great post, I applaud you. So informative, excited for the story of Heart of Thorns with the Mursaat, Glint’s legacy, and the White Mantle.

Gonna be a fun ride.

Stephen.6312:

It would seem from the guild’s experience that Turai Ossa’s people may have succumbed to Glint’s test.

Curious notion but it’s outright stated why they turned on each other:

Ritual Priest Hehmnut: “It was greed and mistrust that drove my brothers and I apart.”

Furthemrore, the Elonians that Turai led never got close to Glint’s lair – unlike Destiny’s Edge. They were centralized around Augury Rock – which houses the Hall of Ascension. Glint and her tests are 100% unrelated to Ascension. Glint’s lair was adjacent to the Tomb of the Primeval Kings, which was in the northern reaches of the desert – likely not far from the Crystal Sea’s shores, given that the tomb predates the sea drying up.

Stephen.6312:

The question is what Glint’s test was intended to do. Was it meant to keep her safe? Glint didn’t parade herself before humanity; she hid in a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert – the point being that her hiding-place was deserted. Its almost as though Glint didn’t want to be found. Even her custodians had the kind of name that one tends to forget.

The purpose of her tests were also explained in GW1:

Why would she trust someone who has breached her defenses?
“No. No. The great dragon has little to fear from intruders. Little indeed. Her defenses are not to protect her. They are to test those who wish to gain her audience. The task she has foreseen in your future is not one for the weak. Oh no. She wants to be sure, sure that only those strong enough to complete this important task reach her.”

Stephen.6312:

Is it any wonder that the she-dragon entrusted the last of her eggs to someone other than a member of Destiny’s Edge?

Glint didn’t entrust her egg to anyone. The person who gave the Master of Peace the egg was a male voice. Far too different from Glint’s.

Stephen.6312:

Which is why neither Logan nor Ogden are technically correct about the uniqueness of Glint. Sure, she could read minds, but there is evidence that Zaithan could too. In the Personal Story instance “The Source of Orr”, the Sovereign Eye of Zaithan discerns the intention of the PC upon beholding him or her, then appeals to the PC during the ensuing fight, stating, ‘“I see in your heart that you have lost someone to Zhaitan…Come to Zhaitan, and find everything you have lost”’. Nor is the PC the only person to experience this phenomenon. Several instances earlier, in “A Light In The Darkness”, the sylvari Tegwen remarks on eyes she saw in the darkness, “Great glowing eyes that cut into [her] soul”. The link between the eyes of a dragon and it’s ability to read minds seems fairly certain.

Wrong instance with Tegwen, you’re wanting A Vision of Darkness. But there’s an important thing to take note:

It’s not Zhaitan, it’s the Eyes of Zhaitan, that are peering into minds and souls. And they are mesmers – and royalty of a magically powerful nation. It’s only natural for mesmers, especially powerful ones, to be able to read minds. Jennah does it, after all.

It’s actually Mordremoth and Jormag that’s curious with their mind-related abilities.

Stephen.6312:

What is ascension all about? What happens when an individual enters into a state of communion with the “Old Gods”? I’m not sure that any player could actually answer that. Nevertheless, ascension may play a pivotal role in our understanding of dragon.

Ascension is shown to be the ability to see into the spirit realm (aka part of the Mists) with better ease, disallowing those who slip between the fabric of reality (ghosts, mursaat, etc.) to hide from their mortal eyes. Weh no Su and Ascension are the same thing.

Stephen.6312:

What happens next is fascinating. Snaff is transported through Kralkatorrik’s eye into another plane, similar to an ascendant’s ability to travel into the Mists. Did Snaff actually travel into the Mists? It is unclear. Some players have theorized that the dragons may in fact be realms, or planes of existence, within the Mists, and this portion of the story of Snaff’s battle with Kralkatorrik does lend some credence to the theory.

There’s a massive issue with your theory here:

Snaff didn’t go anywhere. The entire battle was a battle of minds between him and Kralkatorrik – not himself – and when Snaff won, he entered Kralkatorrik’s mind where they fought again.

Kralkatorrik’s mind is not another plain of existence or the Mists. The theory presented by the Priory Scholar isn’t so much that the dragons are realms or planes of existences – but that they’re tied to them. Tied to those spheres of power.

Logan and Jennah do the same thing with the whole “communication within a field of the mind” earlier in the novel.

Stephen.6312:

Just as importantly, Snaff realizes something: that he knows how to calm the storm that is Kralkatorrik’s mind. What is Snaff metaphorically doing at this point? He is assembling a broken crystal. Which crystal? The vision crystal, perhaps, or maybe something even more profound. However, we cannot ignore the subtle reference to the vision crystal that is made here.

I… don’t see this reference – subtle or otherwise. At this point, as per usual in your theories, you’re stretching a lot.

There’s no assembling or broken crystal mentioned in the novel afaik.

Plus, in your relation to Ascension, the vision crystal comes before the doppleganger – so your theory is out of order.

Stephen.6312:

Furthermore, it is clear at this point that Snaff has unlocked hidden powers. The nature of the text suggests that Snaff always knew what he realized, he just lacked the spark of purity to help him see it clearly.

That is in reference to the physics of hurricanes – what Kralkatorrik’s mind is constantly related to. This isn’t any “spark of purity” or the like, but basic meteorology that is used to relate to how the Elder Dragon’s mind works.

So no hidden powers unlocked. Just science!

Stephen.6312:

1) Mathematics.
2) The smile on Zojja’s face when she invented a new ankle joint for her golem.
3) The look of shock and betrayal on Klab’s (Snaff’s rival) face when he became the director of pest control.

Like Abaddon, Snaff fell. Why? Think about the nature of Snaff’s thoughts. The first two are altruistic. The last, however, is selfish and proud. The final thought isn’t about reconciliation, but competition. You see, Snaff was too proud to receive the award, “Director of Pest Control”, so he manipulated the prize-giving ceremony at which he might have received it in order to avoid the ignominy of his peers.

You missed the point of the thoughts.

It isn’t purity. It’s happiness.

What Snaff realized by relating Kralkatorrik’s mind to a hurricane is that it’s constantly trying to get at the center – the eye of the storm – which is everything the hurricane is not. So he focuses his thoughts not on being pure, but on being the opposite of Kralkatorrik. And Kralkatorrik is cruel and angry. So Snaff focused on happy and kind thoughts.

This is really interesting and your theory is well constructed. Bravo my friend!