After reading the newest article by ArenaNet detailing Inspector Ellen Kiel’s report on the Aetherblades’ attack, it’s becoming quite possible that the Aetherblades are either working for or with the Consortium, if not created by the Consortium. Let’s first look at some facts from the living story events, the articles posted by ANet, and general lore/information about these entities.
- The Aetherblades were either recently formed, or only began illicit activities now, as the attack on Lion’s Arch was their first (as confirmed in Ellen Kiel’s report).
- The attack occurred relatively soon after the events at Southsun Cove, where the Lionguard (Kiel, specifically) destroyed one of the Consortium’s ships, along with all the settler contracts on it, thus severely hindering, if not destroying, their plans to turn Southsun Cove into a tourist locale. This obviously translates to a massive profit loss.
- One of the Consortium’s main goals is to be a competitor of the Black Lion Trading Company (based in Lion’s Arch, of course). They are motivated solely by money, and have proven that they’ll go rather far for potential profit.
- This attack was on Lion’s Arch and nowhere else (though they do have presence elsewhere, it’s only at their caches/treasure, and Hologram Projectors, which were created for the Dragon Bash, a festival run by Lion’s Arch).
- According to Kiel’s report, they have multiple airships and custom-made armor, both of which would require tremendous funds to acquire and maintain. Kiel concludes that they must have wealthy benefactors or are somehow making this profit on their own.
- Supporting her theory of them having wealthy backers, Kiel also notes that the Aetherblades themselves don’t seem to have much “mechamagical” knowledge, concluding that the airships are controlled by another organization.
- The Aetherblades and their airships flew in to Lion’s Arch from the southwest, presumably from the Sea of Sorrows. It is unknown exactly where they are based, just as it is unknown exactly where the Consortium is based, though the one major location we have seen the Consortium at is in Southsun Cove, also in the Sea of Sorrows.
- Both the Consortium and the Aetherblades are multi-racial organizations, unlike most other groups in Tyria.
- The Aetherblades are not simple pirates. As reported, they are well coordinated and fight as a unit, indicating superior training.
After analyzing this evidence, my theory is that the Consortium most likely created the Aetherblades to get back at Lion’s Arch for what they did to their operation on Southsun Cove. Considering their recent formation and/or emergence, this theory becomes even more plausible. Seeing as how the Living Stories are meant to be tied together, and that the settlers’ story is finished (for now at least), it only seems logical that the Consortium has something to do with the newest story arc. They do indeed have more motive than any other group to attack Lion’s Arch, specifically aiming for those in charge (the Ship’s Council). Of course they don’t want to tarnish their image, and so creating a new group with their massive funds makes sense. Obviously they aren’t the most morally correct organization, as they basically forced settlers into a life-long work contract on a dangerous island. It shouldn’t be surprising that they would be willing to inflict physical damage on anyone who gets in their way, especially after recent events.
The major question to this theory is how the Inquest are involved. Perhaps they were contracted to improve the Aetherblades’/Consortium’s technological and magical abilities. Perhaps the Consortium and Inquest have become allies/business partners due to each group having similar mindsets (furthering their cause with no regards to others. Wealth in the case of the Consortium, technological and magical advances in the case of the Inquest) but distinct advantages; the Consortium with wealth, and the Inquest with technology and magic. That would certainly make sense from what I gather on these corporations.
Okay, that’s it for my TL;DR, I needed to get all this theory-crafting out of my head and onto something else. I might be right (and that would be pretty awesome), or I might be wrong, who knows what ANet is thinking and where they want to take the story (and game, for that matter). Feel free to debate this if you want, just keep it civil please.