Guild Wars 2

The warrior and the engineer.
Just finished taking Engineer’s picture after dropping by the Human city when enjoying a leisurely boar hunt.

My engineer story.
Name: Melophites Dethklok
Age: 30
Legion: Iron
Profession: Engineer
Quote: “Brutal”

Melophites’ warband rotated through most of Charr lands, but his favorite place was Diessa Plateau. He always thought that his greatest worries would be Flame Legion fanatics, Human Seps breaking his toys, or even the occasional greedy Asura merchant trying to stiff him a few coppers for repair work.

Then the Molten Alliance attacked. Melophites saw entire villages burned, crops and cattle destroyed, and refugees flood the Black Citadel.
Working as a special attachment to the Pact forces, his contributions held bases together and healed broken warriors.

When the Aetherblades began raiding lands, he fought with no hesitation.
Though intrigued by their technology every one of them fell to his inventions unless instructed otherwise.

Then came a plan from either Marshal Trahearne or his Commander (controversy exists as to who got the credit). Pact forces began infiltrating some Aetherblade cells.
Melophites and Priory scholars began researching the tools and magic associated with these new threats. Though Melophites doesn’t worship any gods, he does respect the unknown technological capabilities of magic. This curiosity even impressed a few Asuran researchers who try to not use the word “bookah” when speaking about him.

Description:
Now wearing Aetherarmor as a result of his ongoing research, Melophites is a tiger striped looking Charr with green eyes. His attitude towards other races is more easy going than most Charr.

He loves technology of all forms, every widget and gadget astounds him. He even traveled to Queensdale to help with boar hunting, a new hobby he is beginning to like, at the request of a hunter’s lodge who were looking for innovative solutions.

Though he is Iron Legion, Rata Sum does look to be a vacation spot he wants to see some day. The Humans Clockwork project looked promising before Scarlet’s meddling.
He won’t ever give away weapon secrets unless ordered by a higher up, but he doesn’t mind fixing or improving tools, toys, and distractions if it earns him a few silver here and there.

Attached is a picture of him and Sivarson

Aster.7950:

I like Scarlet, but I would like to fight other threats.

And that’s where I am at sometimes.
Maybe they’ll do something like that at the end of her time.
At least I hope, because it would be boring if we always faced one threat.
Even when we had just Zhaitan there were still minor threats as we worked our way up.

Tachenon.5270:

10. Scarlet wakes up and discovers she’s really Bob Newhart and the whole thing was a dream.

I love the reference.

1. Caithe manages to capture her.

Since if she dies her experiences go back into the Sylvari Mother Dream pool thing she is held captive.

Caithe gives her to Countess Anise who promises to rip out every last thought from the plant’s brain. Anise is only helping because Scarlet threatened the Queen and all.

So she’s locked away forever, not able to influence any future Sylvari, and constantly interrogated/tortured by a Mesmer of the Shining Blade who would throw away any rulebook to protect her Queen.

Rynn.1324:

Scarlet’s voice is the only part of the character I enjoy.

To each their own, I just can’t see that voice work on someone who is supposed to be on the Player’s level of things.

MIB neutralizer you mean?

caiomacos.1694:

Scarlet remindes me of Carmen Sandiego (from the “Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?” tv series). She just picked a random place on the world and started to do some random evil for no apparent reason. I guess we can say Scarlet Sandiego does the same: choose a random place on Tyria and start making trouble.

True but Carmen Sandiego has Rita Moreno as her voice while Scarlet has Tara Strong on a bad day. Tara has done better in other projects.
Also we learned things in Carmen’s show, but Scarlet’s hasn’t given us much except for the Reactor.

Carmen actually interacted with the show’s heroes. Scarlet really doesn’t in her show.
Yes I’m calling GW2 “Scarlet’s Show”, I’ve given up the idea of the game tagline “What’s your story?” and have adopted “So what is Scarlet doing these two weeks?”

But at least you knew they had certain goals, which allows you to see how the story goes as you play it.

Last night I finished one of the podcasts (Wartower) and it dawned on me: These writers are trying to make Scarlet like one of the players. She’s so powerful, so beyond the other characters that if we stop her plans in one area she find it fun and doesn’t care.

She treats the world of Tyria like we the players would, as a program where you log in and get loot.

I’m not a PvP style person. I don’t want a villain who is “beyond” the world they inhabit.
I think this, and the voice given to such a type of villain, contributes to my initial dislike over the character.

I like the villain Caudecus because he’s a plotter and schemer who wants to take down the Queen. He has a in world goal and lives within the GW2 world. Same goes for Gaheron Baelfire, Faolain, Kudu, Hirvela the Lost, and constant other NPCs.
I even love the Dragons because they are Tyria in design both physically and in writing. They are a force of Nature specifically tuned to their environments.

Scarlet’s look works for a Sylvari, but her attitude is more akin to a bored player stuck in Tyria because she can’t log into another game. Her voice actress Tara Strong can do better voices. The high pitched giggly silly girl voice doesn’t really inspire me to take on this “personal nemesis”. It inspires me to tell her, “Go home the mall is closing.”

This is Tara-freaking-Strong ANet! Give us less Harley Quinn, more Queen from Royal Flush gang in Justice League. Raven from Teen Titans, Barbara Gordon from Batman, I’ll even take Ben 10 or her Kids Next Door character voices!

I must admit late night web surfing finally gave me this epiphany.
Its so clear to me now.

1. Templar armor from GW1 available.
2. Home instance patch featuring things like wardrobe for PvE similar to the PvP Locker.
3. The Pact, y’know that amalgamation of races and orders, finally put their scientists and smart people together to tell me what Scarlet was getting from all these alliances she was cooking up.

Tremain.4623:

I don’t understand the Scarlet hate. She is no worse than treahern or kormir or shiro or rurik. People act like she is ruining some incredible story, newflash: it already sucked just as bad before. This ain’t lord of the ring folks.

Actually in my opinion Kormir and Rurik were better than Treahearne and Shiro, both of those in the latter are still better than Scarlet.

At least with my first two you have some sense of focus and goal in them. Kormir wanted to end Nightfall, which was partially her fault. Rurik wanted a better life for his people, and decides to become our Leeroy Jenkins.

Treahearne and Shiro both have some focus as well. One has a Wyld Hunt to cleanse Orr and the other wants to be human again.

With Scarlet we don’t get anything.
I’ve read and listened to interviews from Angel McCoy and Scott McGough
(currently listening to an older podcast again) and they swear “She has a plan, she has a goal”.

I’m sorry, but after a year of rambling with her your character’s plans and goal are about as well structured as an excited 4 year old rambling about his first day of school.

Even Lord of the Rings goes on and on and on, but Tolkien at least gave us some sense of direction with what the characters were doing and why.

So yeah this game series isn’t a masterpiece to some, but at least with the four people you listed earlier I can still identify what their goals are.
That at least makes a game worth playing, Scarlet isn’t worth playing to be honest.

However releases have been made and await their live dates, so let’s just either go through the motions and get this blasted “arc” over with or simply log off and spot check quality every so often.

As players that’s all we can really do.

Palador.2170:

Atlas.9704:

She’s a filler villain, only there to give their teams more time while they make a villain worth my time.

http://youtu.be/O5aThJq4Xvo?t=2m10s

I was going to go with a “You are Small Time” with Lex Luthor addressing Scarlet, but yeah Mid-Boss works!

According to most threads they were in Snowden, Diessa, and I’ve seen at least one in Gendarran. So it is safe to say these are peppered through the maps.

Teq getting a power boost, if she’s behind that at all, may have something to do with the energy lines being disrupted since big daddy Z’s death.
From a Out of Universe perspective remember each team rotates, so Teq’s explanation might be 4-5 months away from the release of that update.
This one with the Do not Touch towers could be a clue.

Him getting power was either a side effect or something she wanted to really do.
If she can feed power then reversing it would do the opposite.

Maybe her intent isn’t to create a Dragon, but rather contain or control one existing?

You brought up the Azurite, I did completely forget about that.
So let’s see if I can piece together some stuff:

From the Molten she probably obtained Azurite. We don’t know its purpose.
For all we know it does have some special properties.

From the Aetherblade she has ships and muscle.
Also they seem to be technologically adept plus a number of soldiers are good at redirecting lighting. Yet again more energy based clues.

The Toxic Alliance dealt with spores, poisons, and hallucinogens.
Plus the hybridization of a creature cannot be discounted, but as to what purpose that would serve I’m unsure.

On to the Clockwork and the Steam creatures. We’ve seen various Mecha minotaurs, dream riders, a hybrid oakheart, and the humanoid Clockwork now under her control.

Which means she now has a technological edge.
With these things and those “DO NOT TOUCH” towers I could see her siphon off Dragon energy and contain it in a metallic shell (thank you Clockwork and Steam tech) using the towers and the Azurite (thank you Molten) as capacitors or even find a way to give it specifically to her loyal followers (Aetherblade energy slingers).

With that she could drain a Dragon’s energy and make it sleep all while powering her own people. While not creating a dragon per se she is doing exactly what they do in this theory: drain energy. The difference is who is draining.

Or I could be talking out my rear and she uses all this technology to create a mecha Zhaitan. Hybrid body with metallic shell, energy coursing through its body with Azurite armor loyal to her as she fights the Dragons with a freaking metallo-Dragon and take on the Pale Tree.

(shrugs) Time will only tell if I’m close or the medication finally kicked in.

Risingashes.8694:

Lines from Ceara escorting us through the instance:

“This much power could really go to a person’s head. Get it- power. I’m hilarious.”

Or for more foreshadowing something like:
“(Ceara mumbles to herself for a second) Oh! Do forgive me, I didn’t remember you were here. Sometimes I see a problem and I get so focused, as if everything else doesn’t matter.”

I would have liked such an idea.

eingefallener.1603:

They are devices set forth by Lord Cthulhu to hasten his return.

I will throw Gems at ANet if they did this.
It won’t happen, but still it is a wonderful thought.

Soulstar.7812:

I like Scarlet.

but the story is getting ridiculous with her being behind every kitten plot.

You.
You deserve my +1, because I echo this feeling.

I don’t hate her, but I also don’t get the feeling of her as the personal nemesis that ANet was trying to cook up.
She’s a filler villain, only there to give their teams more time while they make a villain worth my time.

oversoul soldier.1742:

Behellagh.1468:

Scarlet is a class of villain who once glimpsed perfection and thinks she can achieve it, even if it means undoing the universe destroying everything in the process. She’s basically became a tiny god where we can’t quite defeat her permanently but she enjoys the game too much to put us down permanently either.

So in other words she’s the joker.

Meh I’d put her with Judas Traveller.
“I’m so vast and beyond your mortal thinking.”

Which means to me the writers still don’t know how you fit into Spiderman.
“No…no that’s n-not true! Vast! Powerful…I don’t fit in do I? sigh”

Angry Dutch.2439:

On aside note. Has anyone started plotting the do not touch devices on the world map? I have a feeling they might line up towards something. Would explain why they are here without anything in the update notes.

Unless she’s found a way to use those towers to control energy I honestly can’t be brought to care about them.
Now if she does something like control the flow of energy on the world to either:
*Kill something with the whole world as her battery.
*Tries to control societies via literal power play (Bend to my will or no magic for you)

Then I might put her back into the “fun Saturday villain” column instead of the “boring filler character” role.

Deimos Tel Arin.7391:

aaah okies she is meg turney and not felicia day. :p

thanks Vayne

Yeah its Meg, I’ve seen enough Geek and Sundry stuff to identify Felicia’s voice easily.
If it were Felicia I would have smiled throughout the entire video by reflex even if I didn’t enjoy it.

I’ve seen enough movies on SyFy with her in them to provide evidence to that claim.

I’ve said it before in another thread for Fractal Feedback and I’ll continue with my stance.
I accept that they put her in the Reactor fractal. Even to some degree I’m giving ANet kudos on giving her a reason to be there. She was studying energies on a world wide scale.
Fine, great, and its a shame one Fractal has given us more about her than the previous releases featuring her and these alliances.

I think the problem is for most, well at least me, is the implication that she kicked off the reactor explosion. It is a shame that yet another story point has to feature her as the catalyst. Gods forbid other races have their own agendas and goals that don’t feature her.

Now if I’m wrong and she just happened to be there for research and the Inquest borked up their own reactor that’s good. It means she wasn’t behind it after all.

Either way it still doesn’t change the fact that we’ve gone nearly a year with updates featuring her, but we still don’t have a blasted clue as to why she’s doing a lot of this.
Saying that she’s seen the Alchemy, thinks on a different level, or whatever other “mystical” explanation is still a poor excuse for not letting us know her reasons for actions.

I’ve seen this with comic book characters like Harvest and Judas Traveller. The narration and even self dialogue goes on endlessly about how the hero’s attempt is futile and how they can’t possibly understand the villain.

That’s poor writing, because actions have motivations and goals. Heroes can figure them out and they are stopped.
So far with Scarlet (Pre Fractal) we knew (in game) that she learned from various teachers different things, graduated from each of the Asuran colleges, and now is making alliances. We stop them, she shrugs it off, but we still aren’t told what she’s benefitted from the alliances.

Pre Fractal Scarlet’s entire gimmick was “I make alliances you break, but that’s cool with me.” What was the benefit from her Molten crew? Did she manage to make a neat tool with their combined efforts? Discover something within the Charr or Dredge she used for further experiments? Leaned how to make the best PB&J sandwich possible? Same goes for the Toxic Alliance, but at least with the Aetherblades I can make up a fan head canon idea she did it for the flying ships. That’s at least something.

So yes she did have a reason in the Reactor, and it is about darn time she was finally in a place where it makes sense to have her.

On the Scarlet issue, thanks to someone giving a screenshot I was able to read the text from her dialogue.
If it is true that she’s not totally responsible for the destruction of the reactor I’ll give ANet kudos there.
Though I honestly did want a pure Asuran moment.
I can at least give them a thumbs up in giving us some background on what Scarlet is doing.

She seems to be interested in the energy lines of Tyria.
That’s honestly more than what I’ve gotten out of most of the releases featuring her lately.
If she’s going to mess around with the energies of a whole planet, that’s somewhat interesting compared to her usual “Mess up a party, teleport baddies in, say something brief, teleport away” shtick we’ve dealt with.

I’ll have to actually play it out to get a better feeling.

Razor.9872:

Actually, scarlet wasn’t alive when Abbadon fell…so there’s almost no way she could be involved.

That’s right. If people would have just voted Evon, we could have possibly had a break form Scarlet.

Until its found out she time traveled via spooky Steam Portals, stabbed the Gods, and then teleported out with a “Later taters”.

Farzo.8410:

Wouldn’t surprise me if Scarlet was Scarlett Johansson too.

Impossible, that would make the former hot and we know she isn’t.

Gnat.9405:

All I can think of is Scarlet killing Abaddon now lols.

I guess those of you that voted Kiel preserved what little Guild Wars lore is left. Thanks!

Now Kiel supporters have a new slogan: “We took a lore bullet for you.”

oh wow, had I known that I wouldn’t have voted for either Kiel or Evon.
Think about it, had the Charr won they could have tried to shoe horn her into that Fractal.

Well when I get home I’ll go through the motions and see if it was even the least bit entertaining with her reveal. Sad truth is I silently hoped they would have made a pure Asura story too, but it sounds like that won’t happen.

Now on the oath, I’m going to have laughs with it.

I, Player, renounce older games and pledge my allegiance to Guild Wars 2. I likewise declare my freedom from never paid subscription fees! That I turn my back forever on Jotun which is/are totally going to wreck my Norn home. That I will take up arms to defend the bunnies and crush evil with my Flameseeker Prophecies shield. I take this oath to Guild Wars 2 freely, without a Flameseeker shield because I am poor.

Lucky Shot.7650:

Awww! The girl’s cheerful voice was so adorable! How cute!

This I’ll agree with, but wow this was corny.

ghost.3208:

God people are such a bunch of pessimists, it’s not like it’s affecting us in any way…

Actually it can, because when you talk about Guild Wars 2 someone could bring up this commercial and be a bit turned off by how corny or creepy the video was.

So yes it can affect us, at least perceptions of the fans from the outside world.
Let’s take for example the much parodied Mac commercial style that WoW used.
Using celebrities they talked about how awesome their characters were and what classes they played.

It wasn’t some abandonment of reality, it was a neat minimalist video talking about a specific class or race.

Do I want GW2 to have a video of some celeb, like Bruce Campbell, talk about their favorite class, like the Engineer? Well no I don’t want to follow in lock step with what WoW did, but I would like to see a video talk about how the game plays.

In hindsight it would be entertaining if he said “This is my BOOMSTICK” when talking about the Engineer’s rifle.

ANet should work on videos that talk about the game’s capabilities for once, not just the “Two week DLR” pitch I’ve seen lately.
Talk about the death of the trinity, the fact you can play on your own or with people whenever you want, just bring up something about the game’s mechanics.

I just don’t feel comfortable knowing one of our game’s advertisements featured a Cash Cab style direction with folks acting like they have a break from reality. All while behind a motorized vehicle responsible for others’ safety.

Call me a stick in the mud, call me pessimistic if you want, but I’d rather have a commercial talking about what makes this game different in a better way.

Chris Whiteside.6102:

Yep it means i would be able to contribute both the WvW and PvP threads.

Chris

Sounds fair enough, after all you only have so many hours in the day and these topics do have quite the weight on them.
Which means since I’m mostly PvE I can skip out on reading forums for two weeks!
I’ll be able to use that time for game related or mini painting related things.

Maybe Thief because their stealth and traps.
At the very least their play style is different than the Guardian and Mesmer, it would be worth the experiment.

I play to blow off steam from working, dealing with pets, dealing with family.
Sometimes I get a relaxing feeling just by going to a part of the map and harvesting stuff.
Then at times I check the trading post and gem store to see if any of my characters could use a specific type of armor.
Another thing I enjoy is playing my Guardian, running up the tower with a zerg or small group, and help those lagging behind. I get a good feeling knowing that I helped other players.

Just knowing I can play a game where at one instance I could go help others or just run away and be alone for a while gives me a comfort.

Chris Whiteside.6102:

Thanks for the suggestions and feedback i will make sure to do a summary and list actions on Monday.

I don’t want to derail the thread but i would also like to know how everyone would like the next topics to be chosen. Simply would you like to vote again or would you like us to pick the second topics on the respective lists?

I believe it would be best for us to discuss topics that ANet picks based off the list fans created earlier. This way we fans can get some feeling as to what’s important on your side of the screen without forcing Anet to tell us things they can’t divulge due to non-disclosures or whatever factors.

I’ve got two of them (one warrior, the other Engineer). I’ll post the warrior since I have that one plotted out more.

Name: Sivarson Greyfur
Age: 40
Legion: Blood
Profession: Warrior
Quote: “Fall in or fall on my blade.”

Sivarson was born from Gruntle Breakhammer and Sivar Thirstblade, a Guardian and Warrior from Blood Legion. While Gruntle’s nature was more of a protective one, his mate Sivar was blood thirsty when it came to her foes. They met a couple of times when their warbands were on leave, eventually out of their friendship came Sivarson.

Life in the fahrar was simple for Sivarson. Though some showed disdain in how he was named, normally Charr parents take no interest in their children at this time, Sivarson was proud that he carried his mother’s name in some way. Those who mocked him were usually left missing a few teeth. His temper was balanced by his ferocity and loyalty to his fahrar. When given his assignment, the teachers said a warrior profession would suit him best. “He protects his own by smashing in the faces of those who aren’t” responded one instructor.

During The Night of the Dead, most of his warband was killed save one. This shook him to his very core. As a gladium he wasn’t treated very well until an old friend took him in to form a new warband. He took the surname Greyfur due to his two toned coat of silver and grey. His new mission was to shatter the Dragon that terrorizes the Ascalonian territories.

While patrolling these lands he put down Separatists, Charr and Human alike, though he holds no love for the humans he does respect their tenacity. The Queen wants peace, Charr already have enough on their hands. Let the little mouse ruler and her people live for now.

Life stationed in the Brand was difficult at times, but Sivarson began to respect the Human volunteers more and worked well with Sentinels. His relative peaceful posting was disturbed at one point when a group of Sentinels sent word of a huge Branded force coming towards the new settlements that sprung from the peace treaty.

He and his warband came to the front lines where he saw Charr broken and slain across the field. Standing were few Charr, some Humans, and one Guardian called Gruntle Breakhammer. Gruntle lost most of his warband, something Sivarson knew about deeply within his own history. They fought side by side against the Branded forces, crushing many in their wake. Eventually a lucky shot from a Branded Charr hit Gruntle. He waved away the human medic nearby, his disdain for them still ran deep.

Sivarson told him not to be a fool, take the help of the humans, but his father rejected it. “I’m part of the old generation. My type can’t accept it.” He offered a weak chuckle before saying his final words to his son “Besides my warband would have called me Mouselover instead of Breakhammer.”

At that moment his father died. Sivarson could only stand, instruct the Human to tend to the others, hefted his sword up, and ran into the Branded seeing only red.

He still lives out there, on the Brand, making sure his Charr colonies aren’t sacked by this evil. If the Humans benefit from his protection so be it, they earned that much with their sacrifices. One day he will find Sivar Thirstblade, his mother, and tell her how her lover died like a true Charr.

Personality:
He is a Charr through and through, believing in the supremacy of his race first and above all. Though he lacks the bigotry that most of his kind have to other races. He despises the Separatists completely. If the other races act right within the Black Citadel, he will protect the plebian as it should be. If some Asura or Sylvari want to help kill the Branded, he will loan his sword to them. If a Norn wants to crack open Flame Legion heads for fun or revenge for the whole Molten Alliance, he’ll pick up a rifle and help.
Just don’t ask him to sit with non Charr for dinner, unless it happens to be field rations with fellow warriors after beating in the Dragon’s forces a few times.

g e o.2589:

Memorial of your mentor in your home instance would be better

This post right here gets my undying +1.
I miss Forgal.

Matthew Oswald.3082:

It was made over a year ago, and we planned to launch it with the original Fractal release. Unfortunately, the tech didn’t get implemented in time and we missed the release window. It was decided that we sit on the cinematikittenil there was a big update to the Fractals.

I had a feeling that this would have looked fracking awesome for the original debut of Fractals. Still it was a good video and I’m glad to hear we’ll have more in the future.

(Gives entire video team cookie)

Collect and display top three topics/situations that Anet would like to discuss from our suggestions.
Only discuss those topics.
Close appropriately when red banners feel like we’ve made progress.
Later open new thread to collect the next batch of topics.

Good, these are steps in the right direction.
I’ll go run though these towns later tonight when I’m online to play.

I’m glad to see that the results of the Politics event are going to produce something.
Plus I might run Fractals now because I never did finish the Aetherblade stuff.

This may actually interest me enough to start playing Fractals.

Lore behind the legacies?!
(Arranges a quaggan parade complete with Asura/Charr pyrotechnics)

Mea.5491:

Guys do find female Sylvari attractive, I often get dirty whispers about my butt. o_o

If it was from a Charr who called it “apple shaped”, I apologize.
Poor Tybalt just loves apples and things that remind him of them.

Gabby.3205:

Atlas.9704:

Gabby.3205:

Foostivoo the Merry. Because it is my favourite mini and I spent all my money trying to get one last year, but the RNG gods hate me :c

Well if they bring him back maybe you can try via minis in the Forge? That was a guaranteed last time.

I only got 2 out of the 4 minis that I needed for the forge x_x
If they bring Foostivoo back, I hope that I can get the two minis that I need.

Oh, well yeah I hope this for you too!
Because it is a rather cute mini. I enjoy mine.

Even better, after reset all Red players are Molten characters, Blue all Aether, Green all Toxic.
Heck I might even care about WvWvW if they did that just once.

Ashabhi.1365:

ooooooooooooooooOOOoooooooooooooo…..

(Passes the Thundershrimp popcorn around)
Oh snap!

RedCobra.7693:

there wont be another alliance,

molten alliance = red
aetherblades = blue
Toxic alliance = green

all amount to the tricolours, im guessing she used these factions as building blocks to build the ultimate machine, whatever that is i dont know, maybe some sort of doomsday device

She’s planning on forming WvWvW teams with them!
Of course it all makes sense now!

Adine.2184:

I want a Red Rider Plasma Rifle

You’ll put your eye out.

Gabby.3205:

Foostivoo the Merry. Because it is my favourite mini and I spent all my money trying to get one last year, but the RNG gods hate me :c

Well if they bring him back maybe you can try via minis in the Forge? That was a guaranteed last time.

Galen Grey.4709:

You mentioned the white mantle so I will use them as an example. Putting it in spoiler tags for whoever didnt play gw1 and wants to experience it still.

I’ll have to put in some spoilers for this reply, and I’m really sorry for it.

Flat out, at least based on what I’ve played in the Bonus Missions, they were destined to be evil no matter what. Without the Unseen Ones there is no White Mantle.

But that’s enough thread drift from me.

Encoded.7460:

I would be perfectly fine if the story went this way, except that this scenario has already been done in another game and to me it would be blatantly obvious.

Agreed, problem is we can’t get a decent personal nemesis from her because we can’t use characters from the personal story. That was the story that shaped us in the beginning.

So ANet has to make do with new characters they form from the LS like Rox, Braham, Kiel, etc.

There’s some chance for salvage if she directs her attention on the player specifically.
Around the time of the LS it is Post Pact.
So big Z dragon is down and our characters should be the Commander of the Pact.

She could start claiming in a megalomaniacal fashion that she’s just trying to form another Destiny’s Edge. Who better to take down Dragons than another band of gifted warriors?

These people that survived her earlier experiments (Rox, Braham, and such) now are stronger because of her actions as is the Player character.

They are banding together, much like the Edge did. They just need to be tested a bit more, the player needs to be tested a bit more.
She sees that Player character is the lynch pin to the group, she puts pressure on us to see if we rise to the occasion or die like Snaff and this guild shatters much like the Edge of old.

Which then presents a problem, when we defeat her and we defeat the next Dragon with our newly found friends we honor her actions in a sense. That would be a fun twist, but I can’t see anything like that happening now.

Hylek and Centaur: Hoof Hop.
At least the Krait will be in trouble if this shows up in Kessex.

ShinjoNaomi.1896:

You have a point about magic in the DC universe. However, I don’t ever recall the Joker ever being able to use it.

Emperor Joker, he took Mxyzptlk’s power.