Melandru or the Pale Tree
beware a few personal story spoilers
Any additions/criticisms would be great.
Stats:
Pale Tree
Exists simultaneously in two realms (the dream and tyria)
has an army of children that seem to be produced very rapidly
able to see all of the possible futures that may come about?
Strong magical abilities, from the Caladbolg show this in its elemental strength (also her ability to show herself as an avatar/Mesmer magic possibilities)
Melandru
Ability to terraform the soil and bring the land back to life. (I suppose the pale tree also did this in the Artesian Waters with Caladbolg.
Ability to turn humans into plants? (Ewan’s tribe)
Surely powers similar to any other of the human gods?
Infamous Culverin(engi[Main]), one of every other class.
Karl Marx: “Go away! Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough!”
The Six Gods hold indestructible power. Though Melandru may die, her power will never be destroyed. Besides, the Pale Tree is immobile and is merely tied to the Dream. Melandru is capable of transforming other beings into plants, and has direct access to the Mists (which does more than telling “all possible futures” – which is false for the Pale Tree, she can only see the current future via the Dream – as the Mists actually connects all times and places).
To beat a god, either someone of close power is needed (demigod), or the god to be weakened a lot.
Melandru would kind of win easily. Even with the nerfing the gods’ lore has received in GW2. I mean, the mass AoE crippling/bleeding vines around Orrian Melandru statues is just remnants of her divine magic lingering in Orr after a thousand years. When a god can wipe out an entire peninsula (or regrow it) in an instant… yeah, Melandru wins.
Dear ANet writers,
Stop treating GW2 as a single story. Each Season and expansion should be their own story.
I’m guessing that Melandru’s portfolio includes control over all natural living things and the soil, while the Pale Tree has the fantastic ability of being a Sylvari-factory.
Well, largely because the gods have stopped meddling in the matters of Tyria.
Or because they’re not as powerful as the term god would indicate. For gods they’re rather mortal. Abaddon died and I’d imagine that Balthazar’s father was also a god (who was beheaded). Dhuum and Abaddon were both imprisoned for a very very long time (why does god need a spaceshi— I mean, why does god have such a hard time getting out of jail).
Well, largely because the gods have stopped meddling in the matters of Tyria.
Or because they’re not as powerful as the term god would indicate. For gods they’re rather mortal. Abaddon died and I’d imagine that Balthazar’s father was also a god (who was beheaded). Dhuum and Abaddon were both imprisoned for a very very long time (why does god need a spaceshi— I mean, why does god have such a hard time getting out of jail).
While imprisoning Abaddon, the five gods turned a large inland sea into a sulfurous wasteland. Abaddon was stronger than any of the other gods alone. Dwayna’s magic misused turned a huge inland sea into jade and a huge forest into stone. They’re pretty powerful, alright.
Well, largely because the gods have stopped meddling in the matters of Tyria.
Or because they’re not as powerful as the term god would indicate. For gods they’re rather mortal. Abaddon died and I’d imagine that Balthazar’s father was also a god (who was beheaded). Dhuum and Abaddon were both imprisoned for a very very long time (why does god need a spaceshi— I mean, why does god have such a hard time getting out of jail).
Balthazar’s father could easily have been mortal, since divinity is not passed down by genetics (though some power does seem passed down since Grenth had titles such as “Prince of Ice and Sorrow” before overcoming Dhuum).
But you’re falling into the gap that is caused by monotheism being so commonplace nowadays. In traditional poltheism, gods are not these omnipotent, omniscient beings that cannot be covercome. They’re unaging, world-making, race-making, afterlife-governing beings.
Why does Abaddon and Dhuum have such a hard time getting out of jail? Because they’re in a jail tailored specifically to them. No different than the prisons the Titans were put in with Greek Mythos – Titans in Greek Mythos were gods too.
Dear ANet writers,
Stop treating GW2 as a single story. Each Season and expansion should be their own story.
Well, largely because the gods have stopped meddling in the matters of Tyria.
Or because they’re not as powerful as the term god would indicate. For gods they’re rather mortal. Abaddon died and I’d imagine that Balthazar’s father was also a god (who was beheaded). Dhuum and Abaddon were both imprisoned for a very very long time (why does god need a spaceshi— I mean, why does god have such a hard time getting out of jail).
Balthazar’s father could easily have been mortal, since divinity is not passed down by genetics (though some power does seem passed down since Grenth had titles such as “Prince of Ice and Sorrow” before overcoming Dhuum).
But you’re falling into the gap that is caused by monotheism being so commonplace nowadays. In traditional poltheism, gods are not these omnipotent, omniscient beings that cannot be covercome. They’re unaging, world-making, race-making, afterlife-governing beings.
Why does Abaddon and Dhuum have such a hard time getting out of jail? Because they’re in a jail tailored specifically to them. No different than the prisons the Titans were put in with Greek Mythos – Titans in Greek Mythos were gods too.
I’m still going with the Charr on this one, there are no gods or immortals only powerful entities.
Well aside from pre-Kormir’s rise human belief, that’s really the case. Though it seems that the Six Gods fit into the “unable to die of old age” concept of “immortal”. And they are gods – which the charr do not deny; the charr state that gods are beings to fight (and kill if possible, even the charr aren’t certain there) rather than worship (they still consider them gods, just not their gods).
Dear ANet writers,
Stop treating GW2 as a single story. Each Season and expansion should be their own story.
Well, we could also consider that they wield the same power. The pale tree and Melandru both wield the power of the good side of jungle magic. Mordy wields the bad side of this same magic. It would come down to who has more control of this magic.
My suspicion is that it might be a close call. The pale tree only sees Mordy as a nuisance.
Jade Quarry – Esparie
Illustrious Exhausted Primordial Legendary Druid, and Mesmer for fun
PvE | PvP (1500)| WvW | Fractals | Dungeons
Considering many sylvari see fighting the dragons as the reason for their kind to be, I don’t think the Pale Tree sees Mordy as just a nuisance…
On the whole… I think Melandru does come out as more powerful. She has the ability to traverse realms with more freedom than the Pale Tree, and is credited with terraforming pretty much the entirety of Tyria… and also with transforming a group of humans into plant-creatures for doing the wrong thing. While the Pale Tree is potent enough in her own area, I think Melandru comes out ahead.
To those who think Scarlet hate means she’s succeeded as a villain:
People don’t hate Scarlet like Game of Thrones fans hate Joffrey.
They hate her the way Star Wars fans hate Jar Jar Binks.
If Melandru has built Tyria, can he control leylines and all its power? What’s the connection between the land and the magic that lies within? Are they somewhat intertwined?
If Melandru has built Tyria, can he control leylines and all its power? What’s the connection between the land and the magic that lies within? Are they somewhat intertwined?
Melandru didn’t build Tyria. The world, the Elder Dragons, and magic existed long before she and the other gods entered into the picture. The actual connection between the world and magic is unclear, although I’m inclined to say that they are intertwined.
A goddess who is not interfering with the world anymore is not powerfull at all anymore.
Power exists irregardless of rather it is currently in use. Lack of action in no way diminishes what she is capable of, and that assumes she is in fact sitting about idly- for all we know of their situation, the gods could just as easily be fighting a cosmic war on a scale that makes our current squabble with the Elder Dragons look entirely insignificant.
R.I.P., Old Man of Auld Red Wharf. Gone but never forgotten.
Well, what is a power worth without showing it?
You think they could do that but do they? At least the pale tree is there tangible and doing. The gods could be dead by now, as we don’t know much about their
whereabouts.
The god can be as well weak and having no power at all to fight the dragons and hide in the mists because they can’t do anything.^^
We know the gods are alive, because they do on occasion still answer prayers.
You are right as well, of course, but I see no more point in assuming the worst of them than you do in giving them the benefit of the doubt. We just don’t know. What we do know is that what Melandru is said to have done while she was still around is well beyond what the Pale Tree is capable of doing. As the power of a god is eternal, and indestructible, she is still capable of such power and will be so long as she lives; ergo, Melandru is more powerful than the Pale Tree.
R.I.P., Old Man of Auld Red Wharf. Gone but never forgotten.
It depends on the perspective. I don’t play humans. So a goddess as I would call the pale tree too who is around and taking part in the worlds actions is more powerfull than one who is only assumed to be able to do.^^
Well, what is a power worth without showing it?
You think they could do that but do they? At least the pale tree is there tangible and doing. The gods could be dead by now, as we don’t know much about their
whereabouts.
The god can be as well weak and having no power at all to fight the dragons and hide in the mists because they can’t do anything.^^
The topic at hand is who is stronger. Their actions or inaction in the current world are not part of it. As the hypothetical question asks, Melandru is more powerful.
I dont think Melandru would win so easily. The way I see it (some speculation) is that the dream is a extension of the mist, and the Pale Tree is its gardener. We literaly have no idea of the feats Melandru has besides turning those people into plants. Meanwhile, The Pale Tree has the feats of making a race of sentient beings, seeing the future, existing in multiple places at once, cleansing Elder Dragon corrution, and creating a plant oasis. I think Melandru may win, but The Pale Tree will put a fight.
Sorry for the bump.
Plays on Fort Ranik.
Ceara Bramble 80 sylvari engineer.
Freyr Treewalker 80 sylvari ranger.
