Guild Wars 2

Hey guys, quick question. My group is Role Playing across Tyria and we’re coming up towards the Shiverpeak Mountains. Originally I thought Slyvari did get cold because of an NPC in the Grove mentioning how Hoelbrak chilled her sap or something, but recently I found another Slyvari NPC in Snowden Drift that said Slyvari aren’t affected by the cold. Does anyone know which of the two is more canon? I’m thinking the not affected because the other Slyvari may have just been talking poetically or something? Thanks in advance

There was another topic about this. Nobody knows for sure. It is my belief that they don’t feel temperature like animals do. Plants don’t have nerves. However, they are affected to some degree, just not as much as others. For example, plants don’t get very much sunlight in winter, although sylvari eat meat. Water freezing in plant cells can kill the plant and water freezing between cells can lead to desiccation or dryness. Cold weather can also decrease enzyme activity (so they may be prone to fatigue). Cold weather causing changes to the fluidity of the cell membrane can also harm plants.

In the other topic it was also mentioned that sylvari npcs scream when they are on fire. Do they scream cause they feel heat or because they know they’re in trouble? Based on this, if it was me, I wouldn’t complain about the cold. However, I would say that I am tired and thirsty all the time. Perhaps your leaves can also change colors and fall off. I have not heard of this happening to sylvari in game. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if it could happen. Even if sylvari can eat meat, its my bet that they have some photosynthetic ability. After all, why are a lot of them green?

I’d let it be individual to the sylvari. After all, some plants thrive in the cold (holly), others need a good amount of warmth (orchids).

Xstein.2187:

There was another topic about this. Nobody knows for sure. It is my belief that they don’t feel temperature like animals do. Plants don’t have nerves. However, they are affected to some degree, just not as much as others. For example, plants don’t get very much sunlight in winter, although sylvari eat meat. Water freezing in plant cells can kill the plant and water freezing between cells can lead to desiccation or dryness. Cold weather can also decrease enzyme activity (so they may be prone to fatigue). Cold weather causing changes to the fluidity of the cell membrane can also harm plants.

In the other topic it was also mentioned that sylvari npcs scream when they are on fire. Do they scream cause they feel heat or because they know they’re in trouble? Based on this, if it was me, I wouldn’t complain about the cold. However, I would say that I am tired and thirsty all the time. Perhaps your leaves can also change colors and fall off. I have not heard of this happening to sylvari in game. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if it could happen. Even if sylvari can eat meat, its my bet that they have some photosynthetic ability. After all, why are a lot of them green?

We know Sylvari can feel pain. So the “Plants dont have nerves” thing doesn’t entirely ring true.

As another said, based on individual Sylvari. For example some don’t mind normal clothing(not plant clothing). Others feel as if it restricts them. I recall one Sylvari wandering Wayfarer foothills who complains about the cold on her feet, and when asked “Wear boots?” she says she doesn’t like them.

Off the top of my head, there are five dialogues relating to sylvari and cold- the adventurer in the Grove who says “Hoelbrak, a city of norn, is covered in ice. It sapped my strength to be so cold all the time,” Geileis in Wayfarer who complains about the cold but doesn’t mention any negative side effects, Benerla in Wayfarer who enjoys going barefoot in the snow and is no more bothered by cold than the pine trees, Explorer Syllia who outright proclaims cold does not affect sylvari, and an ambient dialogue from Medic Yantha in Fireheart that states “We don’t really ‘feel’ the cold as you do” and “We’re more like trees, I guess. When it gets bitter cold, my limbs creak.” Interestingly, the sylvari-specific responses to Geileis (sadly not on the wiki) are “Cold? This is nothing!” and “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to the cold,” implying either way that sylvari PCs don’t mind it.

So what does it all mean? I’d say this- that sylvari have no dangerous physiological reaction to cold- no frostbite and hypothermia and such. However, they do still experience the sensation of cold, and I’d also say that just like different temperatures can affect different humans’ moods differently, so too do some sylvari have negative psychosomatic responses, such as the adventurer’s lethargy.