Guild Wars 2

I wanted to follow-up on my most recent post, “The Other Tree”, to present more ideas that I felt may have some merit in helping us understand some of the most quizzical aspects of the Pale Tree, her Dream, and the Nightmare.

Why Does The Pale Tree Produce Sylvari And Sylvan Hounds? Justifying The Use Of Real-World Examples To Help Understand Fantasy-World Models
If I asked you why the Pale Tree produces sylvari you’d say, “That’s easy – she’s a tree and they are her fruit (acorns),” and I’d say that you were right. But have you ever been puzzled about sylvan hounds? Don’t they seem a bit out of place? Why would the tree produce them? The answer may lie in the nature of real-world oak trees.
In the springtime, oaks produce both male and female flowers. The female flowers are very small; the male flowers form long aments, disperse pollen, then drop dead at the foot of the tree. Could it be then that sylvan hounds are the magical equivalent of catkins?

The Nature Of The Dream
An acorn is not a wind-borne seed. What this means is that when it drops from a tree, it falls straight down. This is a very inefficient means of ensuring that you will effectively reproduce; as such, oaks rely on natural predators such as squirrels and birds to help spread their seeds.
In GW2 the Pale Tree does not enjoy the luxury of squirrels or birds (the closest natural predator related to the possible spread of anything sylvari is the Great Jungle Wurm of Wychmire Swamp) but it’s seeds – sylvari – are magical, allowing them to relocate themselves with ease. And there is something else that the Pale Tree has, which helps it to motivate it’s seeds: the Dream.
Could it be possible that the Dream has something to do with ensuring the reproductive success of sylvari? This same Dream may ensure not only that 1) the tree produces larger yields of seeds each year but also that 2) those same seeds spread as far and wide across the face of Tyria as they can (via Hunts, whether Wyld or Dark), in order to ensure the maximum possible chance of successfully producing another oak tree.

Why Is This Important?
In Season One Ceara developed, together with her Nightmare Court allies, the Tower Of Nightmares. Intriguingly, this plant produced wind-borne seeds, making it’s ability to reproduce far more effective than the Pale Tree, especially when we consider that these plants (presumably) only served Nightmare, eliminating the inner-conflict that has hampered the reproductive efforts of the great oak. Just as importantly, the Tower was big enough to produce a massive taproot – a taproot that might have been as big as that of the Pale Tree, reaching deep into the ground to a source of magic which the Pale Tree may also have access to. When the Tower was destroyed Ceara devised a new plan, using machinery, to produce a mechanical version of the Tower’s taproot – a drill. This is why the Pale Tree’s survival may be important. Her taproot penetrates the heart of Tyria, accessing reservoirs of magic that would make the energy sealed in the Bloodstone look like the mere morning-tea snack of an Elder Dragon.
In short, something may wish to preserve the Pale Tree, or at least her ability to access magic….

If this hypothesis is correct, it may introduce a massive plot twist concerning the fate of Zaithan. After all, of the six Elder Dragons, only Zaithan has ever truly threatened the success of the Pale Tree’s reproductive cycle.

Not sure why we needed a different thread but I’ll go with it.

Stephen.6312:

Why Does The Pale Tree Produce Sylvari And Sylvan Hounds?

Working theory A she’s basing the sylvari off of Ronan’s body. Doesn’t explain the dogs but yeah.
My theory: functionality. Producing humanoid plants in a world dominated by humanoid creatures seems like a good idea (imagine how well the piece between humans and sylvari would have gone if the sylvari were grotesque monsters). Also a human form is fairly useful, small delicate fingers for fine manipulation, tall upright stance to see over the long grass, eye’s in the front of the head to provide better 3D vision. The hounds are much the same, the dog form and abilities have a useful role to play. I’d imagine that the pale tree could create all manner of different plant creatures.

Stephen.6312:

Could it be possible that the Dream has something to do with ensuring the reproductive success of sylvari? This same Dream may ensure not only that 1) the tree produces larger yields of seeds each year but also that 2) those same seeds spread as far and wide across the face of Tyria as they can (via Hunts, whether Wyld or Dark), in order to ensure the maximum possible chance of successfully producing another oak tree.

Firstly the nature of the dream is not understood. So it’s all speculation.We have reason to believe that the dream is not all that common among Sylvari from other trees. But I don’t think the dream helps with reproduction (in any conventional sense). The dream does provide a very useful function in that when Sylvari are born they’re in possession of all the basic knowledge needed to live and function (i.e. they can walk and talk and everything). The dream also acts as a unconscious link among Sylvari, meaning that as Sylvari experience new things the dream becomes enriched and new Sylvari are better able to survive when they’re born.
Although we don’t have any conclusive proof that Sylvari are seeds for all we know they’re just organism the tree produces to help care for it (maybe it only starts creating seeds when it’s a 1000 years old).

Stephen.6312:

Just as importantly, the Tower was big enough to produce a massive taproot – a taproot that might have been as big as that of the Pale Tree, reaching deep into the ground to a source of magic which the Pale Tree may also have access to.

Interesting theory. We do know that one of the goals of the Tower was to produce hybrids and poison. As for it tapping into ley-lines I don’t know. I’d always assumed the Tower was mostly there to ensure that the Krait would be willing to aid her (i.e. I give you a prophet you work for me) and that if an army of hybrids could be produced (along with some dangerous poisons) then all the better for her.

We know that the sylvari are humanoid due to the Pale Trees experience with Rowan. They are confirmed to be a trees interpretation of humanity. Perhaps her observations of people with their dogs is the reason the Pale Tree also produces sylvan hounds as companions for them.

I don’t think you’re too far off saying that sylvari are the seeds of the tree… but I don’t think all of them may be. For instance, all the seeds for the pale tree, we assume, were in a single place in the cavern Ronan found. This would mean multiple sylvari died in that single space. However, this is unlikely. A more likely answer is that very specific and individual sylvari are the seeds. By certain sylvari, I am referring to Malyck, the currently dreamless sylvari. My reasoning for this are the words spoken by a sylvari who is particularly close to the workings of the dream when referring to Malyck.

“A distant shore—and darkness. A root, a cave…you. You are the seed. What Ronan knew and never told still lingers in the Dream.”

The seed. It is possible that what Ronan buried with his family’s grave was not a seed, but a sylvari. Or, at least, a piece of the sylvari that worked as the seed. In any case, it is very likely the Pale Tree’s seeds do take the form of sylvari, however it may also be possible that these seeds have their own “Dreams” and are thus independent of their tree.