Guild Wars 2

This topic has likely been talked to death, but I’m not sure whether this particular angle has been approached yet. If so, then let this thread die like many other threads of mine.
So.
For years people have been speculating as to why sylvari have a humanoid appearance and size similar to humans. Theories have ranged from the Pale Tree growing on Ronan’s family (disproved because of Malyck’s tree) to the Dream supporting images of humans, to “just because”. I don’t know whether or not the lore community has reached a conclusion at this point, but I’d like to add my 2 cents.

In the new Season 2 chapter, we find Scarlet’s old room from when she was studying ley lines. In it was a particular piece of paper with the Pale Tree at the center. At this point in time, nobody really knows the true nature of the Dream, except that the Pale Tree does not create the Dream, it merely communes with it. This paper indicates that the Tree interacts with the Mists in some fashion, which is possibly related to the Dream.
I was recently reading the GW1W for kicks and for nostalgia when I found Razah’s article. Here’s a long quote, taken from the GW:Nightfall Manual:

The protomatter that makes up the Mists strains toward creation, often spawning demonic creations in nightmarish forms. Not all creatures from the Mists are demonic, however. When the Mists come into contact with a suitable human template, for example, it can copy that form, creating a sentient entity with humanoid appearance and an almost human mind.
Razah is one such creation. It has sprung into being a fully-formed adult. It has the knowledge and capabilities of a human, but lacks common sense. As a result, it asks odd questions about human emotions, contemplates human motivations, and attempts to duplicate human mannerisms. Razah is a contradiction: more than human in some ways, and less than human in others. It needs an identity, a personality, and a purpose. Hopefully, it will find its purpose by working with a hero. Otherwise, it could degenerate into an abomination as monstrous and inhuman as its demonic brethren.

I bolded the parts seem relevant to both Razah and the sylvari. While his description does not entirely follow the description of the sylvari (they’re not demons from the mists), the early sylvari certainly lack common sense (*cough*Riannoc*cough*). My theory is that the Pale Tree’s link to the Mists (and, presumably, Malyck’s Tree’s link to the Mists) provided the humanoid template which seems to be so common in those things spawned by the Mists.
Tell me if I’m making things up or there’s merit in this.

The Pale Tree modeling sylvari after Ronan isn’t a theory. It was stated by a developer to be the case.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

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.

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.

I See No Tomorrow.7302:

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

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.