Guild Wars 2

Hello fellow GW2 players and staff alike.

I have a theory as to why the Sylvari all of a sudden turned despite Mordremoth being awake for most of Season 2. This may also explain why the Pale Tree was attacked, maybe a little too specifically by the Shadow of the Dragon first and foremost, aside from the World Leaders/Race Representatives being there.

Up until recently in Lore, the Pale Tree was fit and healthy and controlled the Dream, even having an image of Ventari in the dream teaching saplings about his ways.

In the dream you would also fight and kill a plant dragon called Shadow of the Dragon, the same dragon which would later prove to be a Champion of Mordremoth.

Here we come to the first part of my theory (though others may have also theorised this).

The Pale Tree was getting the Sylvari to suppress the ’Dragon’s Call’ by having them beat down Mordremoth’s influence in the Dream for the Pale Tree. Thus stemming his corruption, overriding their nature with indoctrination via Ventari’s teachings, also enabling her to hold back the corruption for the Sylvari as a whole with the Dragon kept in check constantly in the Dream.

Now obviously the Pale Tree is not so strong anymore following Mordremoth’s assault.

Second part of the theory;

What if the Pale Tree was unable to hold back Mordremoth’s call due to her ill health? Only being able to protect a select few Sylvari with what power she has left? Namely Caithe, Canach, Trahearne, Player Character and a few other story-line Sylvari.

This would explain some of the background and also how the Sylvari were able to turn after being accepted into the ranks of Tyria, especially since a Sylvari in Lionguard armor is particularly focused on, as well as Faolin clearly being shown to be corrupted by the dragon too, so obviously not all of the ‘Mordvari’ are ‘home grown’ so to speak.

Thoughts?

I think it’s a sound enough theory. The Pale Tree was likely going to be a general for Mordremoth, or a powerful minion of some kind, but for some reason broke away from his influence. Maybe it was the tablets or the cue sappy Never-ending Story cheesiness style music The feelings of Ventari and the guy (who discovered the seed and whose name I can’t remember) imbued into the tree. Glint is proof that dragon generals can be pulled out of the dragon’s influence.

And Mordremoth was not awake the entire time, probably. I think the Pact even said they intended for their attack against Mordremoth to take place before he fully awoke. It could be possible that he’s not fully awake at all, even now. But he probably is. That pact assault probably encountered his waking tantrum. It may be that the tree was even keeping him asleep, and the Shadow attacked her to halt her influence.

But this is all just speculative I think. It just sounds reasonable to me.

That’s pretty much a given, don’t you think? We know the Pale Tree was protecting her children from influence, there was just a matter of question as to whose influence she protecting her children from. Be it any ED or strictly Mordremoth. Being that I do believe us fighting the Shadow of The Dragon in the Sylvari tutorial was no coincidence, it would appear that a direct assault on her would weaken any defense she gave and providing ample opportunity for Mordremoth to spread his corruption among his “children”.

All is viable except for :
“The Pale Tree was getting the Sylvari to suppress the ’Dragon’s Call’ by having them beat down Mordremoth’s influence in the Dream for the Pale Tree. "

Only the PLAYABLE character kills the Shadow of the Dragon in the dream as it is stated to be our yild Hunt, other sylvari have different dreams that elude to their individual Wyld Hunt.
At the time we, as PC, assume that it refers to Zhaitan and not Mordy though.

Novuake.2691:

All is viable except for :
“The Pale Tree was getting the Sylvari to suppress the ’Dragon’s Call’ by having them beat down Mordremoth’s influence in the Dream for the Pale Tree. "

Only the PLAYABLE character kills the Shadow of the Dragon in the dream as it is stated to be our yild Hunt, other sylvari have different dreams that elude to their individual Wyld Hunt.
At the time we, as PC, assume that it refers to Zhaitan and not Mordy though.

Maybe a good edit to the theory would be the Pale Tree choosing strong Sylvari to beat down the dragon as you are led there by Caithe.

Seems solid. But that kind of makes it hard for the Pale Tree to manipulate “weaker” Sylvari to not be influence by Mordy.

Not shooting you down, just spitballing :P

Novuake.2691:

Seems solid. But that kind of makes it hard for the Pale Tree to manipulate “weaker” Sylvari to not be influence by Mordy.

Not shooting you down, just spitballing :P

No offence taken at all, after all it is just a theory. If I didn’t want scrutiny, I would not have posted it.

I think maybe if the dragon is being fought back in the dream it would likely give the Pale Tree more control, maybe the dragon in the dream is the Pale Tree’s true nature, a champion of Mordremoth, which the Pale Tree uses Valiants (possibly) to beat the corruption back to give the Pale Tree full freedom to control the dream how she sees fit, maybe even suppressing the Dragon’s Call through her connection to the Sylvari. It has been noted that the Pale Tree feels the death of the Sylvari so a stronger ‘hive’ connection wouldn’t be farfetched at all, a connection with which she could hold back Mordremoth’s corruption/call.

Now your making sense…

So by the PC and similar, defeating the dragon, she is “holding back” Mordy’s influence with the sylvari and possibly her OWN self.

But probably still way more in depth than what we will ever hear from ANET writers.
Lets hope I am talking out of my kitten though.

Novuake.2691:

Now your making sense…

So by the PC and similar, defeating the dragon, she is “holding back” Mordy’s influence with the sylvari and possibly her OWN self.

But probably still way more in depth than what we will ever hear from ANET writers.
Lets hope I am talking out of my kitten though.

They will probably have to go into some depth as to why the Sylvari suddenly turned and why your player and a few others are not one of them/corrupted. They will definitely have to go into who the Pale Tree is and the nature of the Pale Tree anyways, too much of an important character to sweep under the carpet.

To nitpick on one point…

I’m not sure Faolain has turned to the Mordrem side. She possibly has, yes, but note that her scene came right after a couple of scenes showing growing anti-sylvari sentiment, including violence against a sylvari that hasn’t turned. It’s possible that growing violence against sylvari among other races has pushed more sylvari into the Nightmare Court, and in turn the Court has started striking out against other races in retaliation – or even simply defending itself against a Vigil effort to stamp them out.

draxynnic.3719:

To nitpick on one point…

I’m not sure Faolain has turned to the Mordrem side. She possibly has, yes, but note that her scene came right after a couple of scenes showing growing anti-sylvari sentiment, including violence against a sylvari that hasn’t turned. It’s possible that growing violence against sylvari among other races has pushed more sylvari into the Nightmare Court, and in turn the Court has started striking out against other races in retaliation – or even simply defending itself against a Vigil effort to stamp them out.

I suppose in Faolin’s case, only time will tell.

Pyriel.4370:

draxynnic.3719:

To nitpick on one point…

I’m not sure Faolain has turned to the Mordrem side. She possibly has, yes, but note that her scene came right after a couple of scenes showing growing anti-sylvari sentiment, including violence against a sylvari that hasn’t turned. It’s possible that growing violence against sylvari among other races has pushed more sylvari into the Nightmare Court, and in turn the Court has started striking out against other races in retaliation – or even simply defending itself against a Vigil effort to stamp them out.

I suppose in Faolin’s case, only time will tell.

Yet but she has those vineish looking things sprouting from her back that she didn’t have before. Maybe Caithe has the egg to save Faolain from corruption :p

With the dream and nightmare, it portrays it as if it’s a choice almost, assuming the Nightmare is Mordremoth. I take it kind of literally, the DREAM being independence from Mordremoth, while the NIGHTMARE is being slave to Mordremoth, it’s very likely it could mean something literally like this. A dream is often something you desire, A nightmare is often something you fear.

But yet the nightmare is still within the dream. I don’t fully believe that the nightmare is mordemoths corruption. Maybe those sylvari are more susceptible to corruption than the other sylvari, but they’re still protected by the dream

You could take the nightmare in the dream as the Pale Tree’s true nature of being a champion of Mordremoth.