Sylvari Humanoid Form
The Pale Tree modeling sylvari after Ronan isn’t a theory. It was stated by a developer to be the case.
Stop treating GW2 as a single story. Each Season and expansion should be their own story.
The Pale Tree modeling sylvari after Ronan isn’t a theory. It was stated by a developer to be the case.
Then what’s up with Malyck? I’m confused.
That’s the mystery of it. Why is Malyck humanoid indeed.
Though he is less humanoid than any sylvari NPC. Even if his face can be used in character creation that is because ANet allowed all NPC faces be usable in character creation and any new ones have been getting added to the makeover kits. So his face is unique unto ‘not Pale Tree’ so maybe what he was modeled after was merely humanoid.
Or his tree came into contact with White Mantle.
Stop treating GW2 as a single story. Each Season and expansion should be their own story.
Hmm, also why weren’t the sylvari based off of Ventari for that matter? (Other than ANet’s decision, because they wanted centaurs as a playable race, but scrapped the idea.) Did he die after the tree had decided it wanted to make some human looking plants along with some dog looking plants?
“However, because the race tightly relates to the essence of human due to the Pale Tree’s influences from Ronan, //They are a collection of abstract notions the Pale Tree had about what made up the human, as she really only saw the surface. They are a tree’s interpretation of humans.” http://www.talktyria.net/2011/08/11/sylvari-lore-interview-with-ree-soesbee-kristen-perry/
“Yes, sylvari are based (by the Pale Tree’s creation) on a ‘human’ model. But, they are still a representation of the human form by something that is not human.” http://gaygamer.net/2011/10/interview_guild_war_2s_ree_soe.html
Here’s a couple good links with some good info that addresses why sylvari have a human form. Note, however, that while they are confirmed to be the Pale Trees interpretation of humanity, we don’t know if it is intentional or not.
maybe there was simply more human interaction compared to one lone centaur. Or maybe the Pale Tree saw the benefit of looking humanoid through the Dream or through a conscious decision. She might have noticed a common relationship between dogs and people. those details are unclear.
Though, as Konig said, Myleck doesn’t disprove the information, he is simply a mystery with no clarification yet. Maybe the other Tree also had interaction with humans or maybe our Pale Trees interaction somhow affected the other Tree.
So there still may be a relationship toward the mists straining toward creation and the ability of the Pale Tree to base the sylvari off of humanity due to interaction with Rowan. It just depends on the exact relationship between the Mists and the Dream.
Hmm, also why weren’t the sylvari based off of Ventari for that matter? (Other than ANet’s decision, because they wanted centaurs as a playable race, but scrapped the idea.) Did he die after the tree had decided it wanted to make some human looking plants along with some dog looking plants?
Well the tree was already busy growing when he died, so probably. One can consider that Ventari and Ronan contributed different, Ventari to their teaching and their ideologies and Ronan to their shape / form. Although I have no doubt the Pale Tree could start producing sylvari of a different shape if she wanted to.
Although I’m still of the opinion that human form was the better (and more pragmatic) decision.
Would have been 2 centaurs, technically, Dustfinger. And at least 4 humans (as of 1078 AE; this does not include any travelers). Per Ventari’s sanctuary in GW1
Stop treating GW2 as a single story. Each Season and expansion should be their own story.
Maybe she didn’t base them off Centaurs because Ventari and his other centaur companion were the only exceptions to their race in Tyria, mentality-wise.
So Centaur-shaped Sylvari would have been perceived rather negatively by the outside world. At least that’s my guess.
I think it all depends on why she based them off of humanity. As I said, it may not even have been a conscious decision on her part. It’s all dependant on the mechanics behind it.