Guild Wars 2

(Fare well, valiant Captain)

TWO bugs with water sound effects:

1) When I emerge from any body of water, my footfalls make splashing noises as if I was tromping through a creek, and I even throw up visual water droplets at my feet. It doesn’t matter what sort of terrain I am on when I emerge from the water. The splashing effects persist until I step onto a different type of terrain. I could run across the whole zone and still make splashing visual/sound effects if the terrain remained the same. (Posted several months ago. If you can dig up that post I might have a better time frame for when I first noticed it).

2) In the Charr fighting arena at the Black Citadel (below the Bane Waypoint) you continually hear the “underwater gurgling” sound effect.

Reesha.7901:

There is always the option to join one of the guilds that were created specifically with Tequatl in mind.

As other people have stated, that is not always an option. Some people are already at their maximum number of allowable Guilds. And it still doesn’t necessarily help avoid long wait times, or getting trapped in Overflow, which is another big concern.

Every server should be able to do the event themselves without having to guest to different servers or join one-goal Guilds. Otherwise something is horribly wrong with the way it was implemented, and the problem must be addressed by the programmers.

With the exception of Dungeons (which I understand some people can solo), the world of Tyria scales fights to the number of players. The Tequatl event does scale to an extent. I am on one of the dead servers, and I can knock out the Bone Wall or the Fingers very quickly when nobody else is around. But Tequatl herself scales very little. If the entire event had proper scaling, then every server could have a chance without necessarily making it a walk in the park.

The Grove. City of the Sylvari. The moment I stepped through the portal, I was noticed. “Over here!” called out a nosy fellow. “It’s a toy! A living toy just came through the gate!”

A crowd of the plant people gathered around me. There was no way I was going to be able to operate covertly in this place. Perhaps it was the fact that we were both “born” fully grown and ready to enter the world that peaked their interest in me. Or maybe it was the fact that we were both made up of plant material. Whatever the reason, they seemed an unnaturally curious people, and it made me nervous.

After they had all touched me, and the unanswered questions died down a little, I finally spoke. I explained my mission, and asked for their aid to help me locate any missing Toys.

“The Firstborn!” one said. “You want to see Firstborn Trahearne. He found a toy and has been keeping it safe. Come with us!” And with that, the group eagerly led me through the grove.

As we walked, I noticed a lot of conversations going on. Strange conversations, and stranger humor. It was as if the Sylvari had to gab, but didn’t have anything interesting to say. Don’t get me wrong; they spoke eloquently, and have beautiful voices. But everything I heard was either mindless drivel, or poorly delivered jokes. My attention returned to my entourage as their voices became excited again.

We had arrived at a personal dwelling. Without knocking, the Sylvari opened the door and spilled in with me in tow. “Firstborn! Firstborn Trahearne! Look what we found!”

A tall green fellow walked in from an adjoining chamber. His eyes found me right away, and scrutinized me. “Another toy?” he asked?

“I am a soldier, sir. I’m here looking for Toys that have gone missing.”

“It talks!”, said Trahearne. “How wonderful! You really must meet the other toy I found. Come!” And with that, he turned to leave. The other Sylvari seemed spellbound; almost worshipful of this tall Firstborn. They followed him through the massive home with me in tow, up winding ramps and through boughs until eventually we came to another chamber.

I followed the group inside, and Trahearne stood aside, proudly gesturing towards another toy. “Your Quest is at an end, my good soldier!”

I stared at the toy. I looked at Trahearne. “That’s not…” I began. But Trahearne was already basking in the adoration and congratulations of his fellow Sylvari. I’ll be darned if he didn’t break into a victory speech.

“Sir”, I tried to interrupt. But Trahearne just carried on, citing the noble cause, and glorifying its successful conclusion. I sensed that this wasn’t going to end well.

“But…” I tried again. Trahearne was really on a roll now, and barely glanced in my direction. His crowd was really soaking it all up, so I quietly took the other toy with me and left. I was never missed.

As I returned to the Asuran gate, the attendant noticed me and spoke up. “That was a short visit” he said. “Did you get what you came for?”

“Wrong holiday”, I answered, and stepped through the portal.

Tequatl requires massive numbers of prepared players now. Only a few servers have been able to muster that sort of force on a regular basis. For the vast majority the GW2 community though, it is now dead content. That alone means ANet must make changes to the encounter. It isn’t the difficulty. It isn’t the timer. It is the high minimum number of people required.

Scaling. Proper event scaling means that no matter how many people show up, it will still be challenging. The event needs a lower minimum number of people required, and proper scaling. With fewer people required, the dead servers will be competitive again and the overflow problem shouldn’t exist.

(Although the timer is a dumb mechanic. Why does Tequatl give up and leave in the middle of the fight whether she’s winning or not? If she leaves before she’s dead, we have successfully driven her off, haven’t we? She should only leave if she has succeeded in some objective; destroying the Megalaser, or smashing all the turrets, or something.)

I reanimated. What a way to learn about time zones! I would have to remember that.

Something was wrong. I was face down and couldn’t see well. Had I been trampled into the ground? No… my arms and legs were able to move, but I couldn’t get a purchase on anything. It was as if… that’s it! I was in the water!

I flapped and struggled and splashed. Being made of wood, I am quite buoyant, and I found that by moving my limbs in a certain direction I could alter my position to get my face out of the water for a look around.

Uh, oh! Water all around me. I must’ve been kicked off of the gate ramp into the bay. Wait… yes! City lights in the distance. I was floating out to sea!

Think, Clawfford, think. I stirred my brain, and soon a possibility came to mind; if only… yes! I still had my bag full of doll-tectors! I could flip the Return switch on one, and teleport back to Tixx! I started to fumble one out of the pouch, but paused. If I did that, my assignment would be considered a failure, and then Tixx would never give me the ability to be animate at night time. There had to be another option.

Nothing came to mind. The distant lights seemed to be getting further away, and panic set in. I began to splash uselessly, in an attempt to swim. No luck. I shouted. I yelled. And then I was grabbed from underwater and it turned into a scream!

I would’ve teleported to Tixx right then and there, but my fright was such that I was in no frame of mind to think rationally. But then I realized that I was not being pulled under. In fact, I was moving quite swiftly back towards the lights! In only minutes, I had traveled as far as it had taken me all day to float. The shore was approaching swiftly, and I felt myself being lifted from the water and tossed up onto the beach.

As I sat there at the edge of the water, I turned to look out to sea. All I saw was a fish tail disappearing underneath the waves. Whatever grabbed me must have decided I wasn’t a meal, and threw me back up on shore. I guess it’s a good thing sometimes to be constructed of wood.

The Asuran gates weren’t far, but even closer was a Durmand Priory tent pitched along the shore. There were plenty of researchers milling about outside, so I snuck over, and peeked under the tent flap. Nobody. Perfect! I ducked inside. I didn’t even need to rummage around. The very walls were decorated with the information I needed. The time zones of Tyria!

I committed the information to memory in order to prevent another near-disaster. When I was satisfied that I understood everything, I peeked outside. The researchers were still there, but I needn’t have worried. They were all engrossed in their work. I continued up the beach to the Asuran gates. Choosing my next destination involved a little thought now, but soon I was confident enough to step through one of the portals and continue my assignment.

With the setting of the sun, I reanimated. Nothing had disturbed me during the day, and I continued my scouring of the city. As with the previous night, I was able to acquire a few more assistants from the populace that were willing to help.

I managed to rescue one stuffed Griffon that had been entangled in the upper branches of a tree. It seems he had been assigned to a small boy last Wintersday, but his mean older brother had snatched the Griffon away and thrown it over a wall to see if it could fly. Its wing pierced by a branch, it could not get down. I used a doll-tector to send him back to Tixx, where he’ll be repaired good as new. I imagine he will be returned to the lad this Wintersday along with an extra something added in case his brother gets any ideas again.

I completed a sweep of the city well before daybreak, with no more “hits” on the doll-tectors. So I decided to leave any further cleanup to my helpers and head for the next city on my list. I made my way to the Asuran gate in the gardens, and approached from behind. (You can go through from either side. Few people realize that, so the back side was not being watched.) I stepped through the portal and…

(Plop)

Kiayin.3427:

Would you be willing to entrust Dolly to me? I’ll give her a room of her own in my manor in Salma District! She could have tea with my mini candy corn and Lord Faren when I’m out. And you can visit whenever you want, of course!

((When Clawfford hit the Return switch on the doll-tector the Princess was holding, it teleported her back to Tixx. But it sounds as if you might rate well on the Tribune’s “Nice” list. Dolly or one of her sisters might very well come this Wintersday to live with you, if that is your wish.))

Sinbold.8723:

Not to break your immersion, but now that I’ve seen it, I totally want that permanent tonic!

((I love it! It makes me as small as an Asura for those cramped jumping puzzles. And I can even use my Experimental Rifle while transformed to make those hard jumps!))

I was looking for strange places, and I certainly found one!

A sound was floating over the Eastern Commons. It assaulted my ears like nothing I’ve ever heard before in my short existence. I approached with caution, as there were many people about. There seemed to be some sort of carnival going on. And then I spied her. A Princess Doll!

She was standing next to a seedy-looking Human, and she was crying. The man seemed to be using her as some sort of carnival attraction to make money. Quickly, I removed a doll-tector from my bag and activated it. Yes! She was definitely not in a happy arrangement with this fellow. I must get her away from him!

I maneuvered around behind the pair, where the Princess could see me. It took a lot of frantic gesturing, but she finally glanced up and noticed me through her tears. I beckoned for her to follow me. When the man’s attention was on the sights around him, she made a dash for it.

Almost at once we heard a shout, but we weren’t about to stop. Making sure the Princess was on my heels, I weaved in and out through the crowd and towards the escape route I had scoped out. We ducked around a corner into an alley, and held our breath as the Human continued past our hiding place.

“Oh, thank you, brave soldier!” said the Princess when all was clear. “That bad man has kept me prisoner ever since Wintersday, charging people admission to see the talking doll”.

“Only doing my job, Princess”, I said, handing her the doll-tector and pressing the Return switch.

“Dolly”, she said as she faded away in a rainbow of sparkling colors. “Call me Dolly”. And then she was gone.

A job well done! And none too soon, either, as there were signs that daylight was approaching. I went to the back of the alley and concealed myself under a pile of trash. Moments later the sun came up, and animation left me.

The signal is lost. The doll-tector is either on the fritz, or the Toy has moved. I continue on.

The city is abuzz with activity, even at night. Most people ignore me, thinking me to be just another Charr cub. But as night wears on, my true nature catches the eye of the more observant. I am able to swear several people to secrecy, and enlist them to aid me in my noble quest. I pass out several doll-tectors.

Then I happen upon a huge hole in the ground. The Human’s new arena. This would be a strange place to find a Toy, but the doll-tectors remain silent. Just as well. Probably nothing in there except Krait.

I continue my search.

Amazing luck! One of my doll-tectors has already indicated the presence of a lost Toy in the Salma district! As I enter, I am almost immediately aware of the sound of children playing (up past their bedtime!)

It is an orphanage. I move in closer for a good look. There! A little girl playing with a doll! Is that one of Tribune Tixx’s Princess Dolls? I confront the girl.

Oops! Sorry. Wrong doll. I should have known. Those things are all over the place. Seems like everybody has one of those dolls. It’s no wonder this one wound up at the orphanage.

I just found the one in Dredgehaunt Cliffs. I double-dog-dared a Norn to lick it.

He’s probably still there.

ArtemusHunter.9521:

I HAVE BEEN PREPARING ALL YEAR FOR THIS!!

SANTA FLOYD IS -MOSTLY- READY FOR WINTERSDAY
(Gotta get one of them wintersday staves)

ANYONE ELSE READY?!

Bubbles is ready, Santa Floyd! She has been a good girl all year!

Quaggan has nothing to fear from crates… right?

I logged in to Southsun Survival last time it was the Daily Activity, but had no chance at all of winning. Why? The moment I appeared on screen, I found myself affected with an HOUR of “Immobilize”. It was actually a race to see if I would die first from lack of food, or be booted for not moving. I died first (by a narrow margin) and was freed of the purple chains when I faded into the mists.

RUSH should charge up to your opponent, and then take a big swing.

At melee range, when you are already next to your opponent, it should just take the big swing. But many times you go through the whole running animation while not budging an inch, wasting precious seconds before you take that big swing. The loss of time while the unnecessary animation is going on can result in your being interrupted.

Combined with the erratic targeting system, I often find myself streaking off to the side of my screen with this skill, to engage some poor yellow creature I didn’t even know was there. Makes for some real frustrating battles sometimes.

Awesome.

I hope it also fixes the female Sylvari ranger. I just discovered that her shortbow is also not making any sound when stowed. Haven’t checked my other Professions (I have one of each). Been only working my main for awhile now.

Samuli.7852:

((Awww, Ms. Bubbles is back home! I’m so happy! Is this the end of her story, or will we hear from her again? It sounds a bit like en ending.))

This is the end of Bubbles’ part in Warning Buoy! If I see a good place for a cameo elsewhere, I haven’t ruled anything out. But unless GW wants to give me an actual mermaid tail skin (Hmmm! I wouldn’t object to that! ), then making screen caps for a mermaid tale are hard without a mermaid tail.

FIN

Role players!

410 posts and 45,000+ reads later, Bubbles finally has her Warning Buoy. I thank everyone who participated and everyone who read for making this thread a surprise hit. Keep it going! Feel free to make use of the “Jonas Grumby” character. (Someone else has the name in-game, but unless they object I have no problem seeing more of him).

Bubbles has faded into myth, as do all mermaids. But there is plenty going on in Tyria even as her story fades. I will enjoy seeing where these tales lead.

The forums already have a section for “Fan Generated Content” (under COMMUNITY CORNER). This thread began as a little tongue-in-cheek humor, and now probably belongs there instead of the “Discussion” forum. Many of you have good stories to tell. We have a good place to do it! I’ll see you there!
____________________

First In Sending Help [FISH] is a real Guild complete with emblem and little else. Population: Me. I would like to try my hand at role-playing in-game someday, but I am not ready to manage a Guild for that purpose full-time. I just want to pop in on occasion with various characters and join in for some role-playing fun and special events.

If anyone wants to take over, let me know. Send me a Private Message (in the forums, please. Not in-game) and list your qualifications. Have you ever run a Guild before? How many members? Do you role-play in-game? Have you organized any successful in-game events? Are you on a role-playing server? Etc.

I would like to see a simple, easygoing guild that accepts people who just want to role-play while representing [FISH]. No pressure to have certain stats, builds, or achievement points. No forced recruiting or representation. Just role-playing fun and games. But like Jonas, you will be in control. After it’s yours, you can do what you like with the Guild.

Jonas had everything packed, and we were ready to make the return trip to Lion’s Arch. We made our farewells to the Coddlers and passed through the hidden underwater exit. Having made the trip recently, Jonas knew the easiest, safest route. So I let him lead us.

“Have you thought about what you’re going to do now, Bubbles?”, he asked. “It will probably be awhile before the hunt ends, and your disguise isn’t foolproof.”

“Yes, I will probably return to my home and keep to my own underwater world. What worries me most is that [FISH] may flounder. I have spent many years protecting my city beneath the waves, and I see now that there is so much need of help on the land.”

“You can’t give up now, Bubbles. Lion’s Arch needs someone like you.”

“But I’m afraid my presence would be too much of a distraction”, I protested. “For good or ill, the presence of the mermaid would be disruptive for [FISH]. I was hoping…”

“Yes?”

“Well, you said that you were looking for your calling now. I was hoping that maybe you would like to run [FISH].”

Surprised, Jonas stared at me. “Me? What do I know about helping people in trouble?”

I swatted him in the arm. “Jonas! What have you been doing? You helped the Coddlers care for me, and you took it upon yourself to help make sure I remain a mystery to the world. You’d be perfect for the job.”

We walked awhile in silence while he contemplated. “Suppose I do take your offer. What then? Do I report to you in secret?”

“Oh, no. You’d be in charge. The gilled members would report to you. Nobody but you must ever know I am still alive, or my ability to protect the bay would suffer. We must never contact one another unless our duty to the people of Lion’s Arch overlaps.”

“I’ll be in charge then? Very well… I accept! My first goal as the [FISH] Head will be to cement your “legend” as a mystery that may never be solved, so that most of the people stop looking for you."

“I’ve given that some thought”, I said. "You said that the Asura will be a problem, right? That they don’t care so much for the “legend” as just gaining knowledge about my species?"

“Yeah, the Asura” he said looking into the distance. “They won’t stop with their fancy machines until they find something. Then they’ll probably scurry back to their labs and have years of fun analyzing their findings. The problem is, they haven’t found anything and it’s making them more determined to stay.”

I rummaged in my pouch. “Will this do?” I said, handing Jonas the remaining bits and pieces of my shattered necklace. “I think they would be very happy and very interested to have these.”

Accepting the pieces. Jonas grinned. “Perfect, Bubbles! They wouldn’t be able to resist this!”

“But wait, Jonas”, I implored. “It needs to be in exchange for a favor. There is something I want them to do…”
____________________

We made it back to Lion’s Arch without incident. My disguise seemed to work perfectly, as nobody we met gave me a second glance. Jonas and I worked out a way to make contact with each other in the event of an emergency, and too soon we found ourselves at the water’s edge, our journey complete. I kissed Jonas on the cheek and dove into the bay before he could say anything. I turned to wave one last time, and then flipped over to repeat the performance with my tail as I disappeared beneath the surface. I was home.

Investigator BooOOooblz: Krait is exploring Human lands. Quaggan has seen many crates waiting to hatch.

Chief Investigator: Krait is looking for hole in ground. Baby crates born in craters. Has Quaggan seen sign of holes?

Beetletun is full of crates tooooOOOOOoooo! When they hatch, we’ll be overrun by baby Kraits!

ooooOOOOOOooooo! City is full of CRATES! Quaggan is uncomfortable!

Two Quests don’t launch.

1) Agent Mirayla in Blazeridge Steppes argues with the neighboring NPC that she needs help rescuing her partner Agant Jaren. But afterward when I talk to her, she doesn’t bring up the dialogue box to start the Quest.

2) I spoke with Oopdoop in the Straits of Devastation and he gave me an escort mission for his lost friend Blubloop. But Blubloop does not move. He runs all over the place when I am clearing the area of Risen, but then he settles back down and doesn’t go anywhere when it’s safe to continue.

Borlis Pass server – Please expedite repairs. (I hope someone’s on glitch duty on the weekend.)

I was feeling much better.

I was up and about, and able to swallow food again to some degree. My blouse had been cleaned of the blood stains, and I had managed to rinse the last of the red coloring from my hair. It took a little doing, but I was able to put my hair up and weave some of the salvageable remnants of my necklace into it decoratively. I was gazing into a reflecting pool with satisfaction when I heard someone come up and stop behind me. I stood up and turned to find Jonas, back from his sojourn in Lion’s Arch.

“Your hair looks nice that way”, he said. “The blonde goes better with your ocean-blue eyes.”

“Jonas! How is the city? Did Cerise hurt anyone?”

“Relax”, he said calmly. “Everything will be all right. Just a little scare. Lion’s Arch sees dangers every day, and the city is filled with heroes to face them. They’ll be just fine. The important thing is that you’re dead!”

“I’m dead?”

“That’s right. You and I have both been officially recorded as ‘Missing; Presumed Dead’”. Jonas seemed pleased with his news.

“And this is a good thing?”

“Certainly, Bubbles! Soon the mermaid-mania will die down, and fewer and fewer people will care about hunting for you. Oh, there will be some stubborn ones; the Asura perhaps. And other nut jobs who will cling to the thought awhile longer of finding you alive. But soon you will be just another fish tale and free to travel as you please.”

“But what about you? Isn’t there anybody who will be glad to hear that you’re still alive?”

“Me? No. I was a gutter rat, shanghaied into serving on the ship that went down. Nobody will miss me, and I’m glad to have a fresh start, if I can find my calling.”

“So when do you suppose we can go back?”

“First thing’s first. If you’re going to try passing as Human from time to time, then you’ve got to stop dressing like a mermaid.”

“What do you mean?”

“You need to stop dressing in bright blues and greens that reveal so much flesh. They not only draw attention, but they are the colors of the ocean as well. People expect a mermaid to dress like that. Here – I brought you something” he said, pulling a package out from behind him. “It’s human clothing. Drab. Common. Less revealing. Go try it on. It’ll help you pass unnoticed amongst the land dwellers.”

I took the package and disappeared into my quarters to dress. The outfit was fairly easy to figure out, but it would never do for swimming. I wasn’t quite sure it was “me”. When I was satisfied that I had everything on correctly, I went back out to look at myself in the reflecting pool.

Jonas smiled when he saw me. “You look fantastic!”, he said. “I would never mistake you for a mermaid now!”

Looking into the pool, I had to agree that I looked more like the land women I have seen.

“Just one more thing”, he added. “A final touch. The accessory that no mermaid is ever pictured wearing”. With that, Jonas produced an odd item and held it out.

I stared at it. “What is that?”, I asked.

“Just think of it as decoration. Like your necklace. Here – let me show you how to wear it”. I let him help me, and then I turned to look at myself in the pool.

“Oh! Oh, my!” I said. “I look so different, and kind of funny!” I stared at myself and smiled with amusement.

“The Quaggans are right, you know”, Jonas said.

“Hmm…?” I answered, still looking at my reflection.

“You do have nice teeth.”

That earned him a better view of my pearly whites.

Neural.1824:

((First off. YAY! BUBBLES!. Second, and I’m looking at you Hamfast, please tell me that Hoomoohoomoo and Nookoonookoo have a little sister named Ahpooahah. :P ))

Oh, you caught that, did you? (Once the State Fish of Hawaii was the Humuhumunukunuku?puaa, or “Triggerfish”. The Hawaiians aren’t known for their brevity of language. That’s pronounced Hoo-moo-hoo-moo-noo-koo-noo-koo-ah-poo-ah-ah. Got it?)

As long as you’re digging up hidden stuff in my story, try Googling Jonas Grumby as well.

EDIT: Ignore the question mark in the link. There’s punctuation that this forum can’t handle, so it changed the characters a bit to suit itself. The WIKI entry displays the full word properly.

A dim light. I lay upon a comfortable, warm surface. A soft, sweet voice sings in the distance.

Swimming, swimming, swimming,
All Summer long.
Swimming, swimming, swimming,
It makes your flippers strong.

Mother? Is it bed time? No, wait… Mother is gone. She hasn’t sung that lullaby to me since I was her little minnow. Who is singing?

The sound of children at play. Muted whispering, this time close by. A male voice speaks up; “Look! She’s awakening! Bubbles… Bubbles can you hear me?”

“Wh-where…?” I croak, trying to sit up and open my eyes all the way.

“Easy! Easy, there.” the voice intones, and I feel hands gently pushing me back down. “You’ve been hurt. You need to rest. Everyone will be glad to see that you’re back with us.”

The light is getting slowly brighter, and I begin to focus. My throat hurts, and my mouth is dry. A strange Human is standing over me, and a familiar looking Quaggan next to him. “Wh-where…?” I try again.

“You’re in Coddler’s Cove”, says the man. “Don’t you remember me? I’m told you saved my life”. I stare at the scruffy face and try to place it. “Jonas is my name. Jonas Grumby. You saved me when my ship went down. Now I’m doing what little I can to try to repay the debt”.

Recollection came, although I couldn’t place the face. His hair was matted down with water the last time I saw him, and he had been clean shaven then.

“Nookoonookoo here heard a big splash and went to investigate. He found you unconscious with blood coming from the base of your neck. So he brought you here to be cared for. That was two days ago.”

“Nookoo…” I began, focusing on the Quaggan. But my dry mouth and sore throat stopped me from continuing. Yes, it was Hoomoohoomoo’s brother. Suddenly Mr. Grumby’s words registered with me and brought recollection. “Cerise!”, I choked, raising a hand to my aching throat to feel bandages there.

“Easy, Bubbles”, try not to talk. “You took a blow to your neck, and I’m afraid your necklace was smashed. Some shards had cut through your skin.” He held up something for me to see. My Mother’s seashell necklace, shattered into little sharp fragments. My last physical reminder of her. Tears of loss began to well up, but then I remembered Cerise.

“L-Lion’s Arch!”, I struggled to say. “Danger! M-must help!”

“You aren’t going anyplace for awhile, little Mermaid. But I am fully recovered from my ordeal. If you promise to stay here and get better then I’ll go to Lion’s Arch and make sure everything’s okay. Will that make you feel better?”

I nodded my consent.

“I don’t know anyone there, so nobody will connect me to you. I know your are being hunted, and I won’t let anyone find you here. So you just lie back and get some rest. The Coddlers will take good care of you.” And with that he was gone.

I sank slowly back into the bedding and was asleep the moment my eyes closed.

((Hmm… the Skritt! Great move! We could just let the toxin get released, and have the Skritt filter out all the bad chemicals through their lungs! ))

Morfedel.4165:

And where does that gw2 tshirt come from for your character? that’s awesome lol

I actually won it during Pink Day in LA festivities.

Originally (I understand) they were only made available to European Fan Sites for promotional givaways. In fact, mine was using a European code, and the Customer Support guys had to re-issue an American server code for me to get it to work. So I guess it’s pretty rare, which is kinda cool! (And no ugly “footsteps” that come with certain other rare in-game items! )

Come out and support them next year!

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Dragon_Emblem_Shirt

In-Game Preview code: [&AgF2UQAA]

They’ll probably fix her up with an eye patch. (Lazy programming). I guess she could always be a pirate then, though.

I have reported this many times in the past. This bug is old.

My eyes used to be fine. Some update long ago messed them up. Many attempts at repairs with Makeover Kits have been no help.

Many times I appear to have a “lazy eye”… but not always. I believe this is mostly due to the SHAPE of the eyes being different from each other, so they are casting shadows differently.

During the day when we have shadows, the light appears to be hitting each eye differently. But at night the light comes from within, so there are no shadows and they look more “even”. (Not perfect yet. They still aren’t quite lined up the same. But with the shadows during daylight, you can see that they look much worse.)

PLEASE FIX! Thank you.

((The second problem is that the main characters can’t really have smooth face-to-face conversations with each other. If we want to meet and talk in the story, we really have to meet outside of the story and collaborate. Then one person writes what was agreed upon. Not to say it can’t ever happen…))

Redenaz.8631:

-Out-of-character Notes-

Please don’t get the wrong impression, or think I want everyone to start posting exactly the way I do. I’ve enjoyed a lot of what I’m reading, and I’m just happy to see other people getting excited about the game in a new way for many of them.

My bigger issue is when something like ten, twenty-plus pages of meaty, narrative prose pop up overnight and I’m still not caught up on it. I know I’m not the only one who can hardly post because they’re struggling to keep up on the reading. I just want people to be a little more aware of their word count, and what that means for everyone else.

Sophiera.1209:

Just double checking, does that mean we’re done with the scarlet fiasco and moving on to post-scarlet?

I believe so, although I haven’t gotten a chance to read everything. Unless someone is still fighting Scarlet’s minions, though, I think that’s finished.

Hmm… there is a mountain of new stuff here every time I get back to reading. I caught that one device was found under the Black Lion Trading Post, and that they were continuing to search. There were a dozen such devices (if you can believe Scarlet). Did someone get the last of ‘em? Is anyone bothering to try, or are they just gonna seep out their deadly fumes in 2-3 days time and wipe out the city? Did I miss something? (I’m still reading too).

(Love your reports, Kraag! Helps a lot in keeping caught up!)

Twoflower.7031:

((I think it’s supposed to be Scarlet, cerise is a lighter shade of red and that sylvari is wearing Scarlet’s armourset.))

I used a spare character slot and bought the armor just for the story (not to mention a few dyes and Bubbles’ hair kits. And forged some Krait Tonics.) Scarlet’s hairstyle isn’t available, but that’s the same hood she wore at the Queen’s Jubilee. And the voice! Surely you recognize that I used the same voice for her?

Yes, cerise is a shade of red. She liked red hair on Bubbles. I spent a fair amount of time in the character creation and got her as close as I could without the same face being available to players. It is supposed to be Scarlet. But fear not! She is gone again, and all you need to do is pick up the story and run with it. Save the day!

(Sorry GuzziHero. I knew I’d get that reaction from some people.)

Jaric.5679:

((Nobody said it was Scarlett, there are other bad Sylvari out there from other people’s past.))

“ Cerise?” she cried. “Right color. But think darker!”

Now get out there and save Lion’s Arch! I’ll be reading.

((Save LA! It needs you!))

Cerise rushed in bubbling over with excitement. “Quickly! We must act fast! There will never be a better time!”

“What are you talking about?”, I asked.

“It’s Magnus! Captain Magnus!”

“Who is Captain Magnus?”

“You really do spend too much time underwater, my dear. Captain Magnus is the Law in Lion’s Arch. He heads the Lionguard. And he wants you to tell him more about First In Sending Help”.

“Oh, Cerise!” I exclaimed. “Right now? Are you sure that’s wise? It could be a trap!”

“The Lionguard were never after you, Hon. And Magnus has it in his power to protect you as long as you are in the city. You could run [FISH] openly!”

“This is so sudden. Right now?”

“Immediately! He wants to meet on the bridge crossing the entrance to the inner harbor, next to the Marriner Plaque. But he’s a busy man and won’t stick around if we’re late.”

“Then let’s go!”, I said, brightening to the news.

We made our way up to the bridge. I wanted to run, but that would call suspicion upon ourselves. As we approached the designated spot, no one was there. “Are we too late?” I asked?

“Right on time. There he is.”

A large Norn, who struck me as nothing like my friend Orek, was striding purposefully toward us from the opposite direction. He stopped ten feet away and glared at the two of us. “Well? What do you want?”, he asked. “I haven’t got all day”.

“Captain Magnus”, said Cerise, “this is Bubbles”.

The Norn turned his gaze on me. He looked me up and down. “The Mermaid? Throw her back. She’s too small. The Lionguard doesn’t need her for anything”. And with that he began to turn and leave.

“I understand, Captain” said Cerise, raising her voice to forestall his departure. “I’m done with her too.”

That made him pause. That made me pause. “Cerise, what are you talking about?” I asked.

She ignored me, and directed her remarks to Captain Magnus. “Don’t you know me, Captain? Take a good look”.

Magnus squinted at her for a moment, and then his eyes widened with recognition.

“That’s right!”, Cerise went on. “Now you see!”

“What are you doing in my city?” he thundered, taking a step in her direction.

“Now, now. Calm yourself. I have important news for you. The city is in danger. It seems someone has planted a dozen toxic gas containers around Lion’s Arch. In 2-3 days, they will begin releasing their deadly payload. I really don’t know how long.”

“Cerise!” I cried. “What are you saying?”

She turned her attention upon me now, and something seemed to change in her manner. Instead of my friend, I now saw someone looking at me like an annoying child. “My dear!” she said. “Your role was pivotal. I could never have arranged it without your marvelous distraction. You unwittingly managed to get most of the soldiers and investigators and peacekeepers out of town and into the harbor, leaving the city wide open for my minions to do their dirty work.”

“But Cerise…” I began.

“Cerise?” she cried. “Right color. But think darker!” And with that, her hand flashed out and I heard more than felt the crunch at my neck. As I toppled over the side of the bridge, I tried to form my fish tail, but couldn’t. As the waves rushed up to meet me I thought “This won’t end well…”

CAPTAIN’S COUNCIL CHAMBERS

Captain Magnus the Bloody-Handed stormed into the Council Chambers. “Brodan!”, he shouted. “Get in here!”

When Magnus shouts, people move. An anxious functionary burst in from the adjoining room. “Sir?”

“Get the other Captains! I don’t care where they are or what they’re doing. Get them! I’m calling an emergency session”.

“Sir?”

“She’s back. Right there in front of me, and she disappeared into thin air. Are you still here?”

“Going sir! Emergency session!”

“Oh, and Brodan. If we have anyone working on this mermaid thing, call ’em off.”

“Sir?”

“She’s dead. Broke her neck and went over the side of the bridge. Go!”

Brodan left in a hurry and Magnus dropped heavily behind his desk.

He cursed under his breath.

For a couple of days now, whenever I restore my staff to my back it no longer makes a sound. Completely silent. Drawing my staff makes the same noise as always.

(Female Human Elementalist)

THE BLACK CITADEL

This would be my first time going to the Black Citadel. The very name is chilling. My only previous contact with the Charr had served to help me understand that they are not all vicious killers (despite the image they like to portray). So I screwed up my courage and stepped through the Gate.

The Black Citadel is indeed dark. It bustles with activity much like Divinity’s Reach, but the mechanical sounds from the gardens were everywhere in this city. I got the distinct impression that this place never sleeps.

I began to wander, and I already felt like I was being looked upon as a quick meal. My pace quickened and I had to tell myself to slow down so as not to draw any special attention to myself. I had changed my appearance, but it still wouldn’t do me any good to get detained by the local authorities. I left the main concourse and made my way into a less developed looking area of the city. I must admit, I became unsure of my direction in short order.

“You smell like the ocean”, a raspy voice called out. A grizzled old Charr stood along the side of the street looking in my general direction. I moved closer in the hopes he would lower his voice.

“I live by the sea, sir”, I responded quickly. “I am just visiting from out of town”.

To my relief, he did lower his voice as I approached. It was then that I realized the poor fellow was blind, or very nearly so. He was about as non-threatening a figure as I had seen so far, so I determined to strike up a conversation. I needn’t have worried, for he seemed to thrive on telling stories. (Oh! …I jumped at my own thoughts of a certain resolute Captain back home).

The Charr’s name was Render Bloodclaw, but he said everyone just called him “Mudclaw” now. He had been an engineer with the Iron Legion in his youth, arraying great war machines against the Humans. I worried a little that he might have some animosity towards me in my Human form, but he chuckled and said I didn’t smell much like his old enemy. “A great waste of time, that war!” he told me.

We spent the day in the manner that the old fellow always does now, sitting on the side of the street watching daily life pass by. He hardly seemed to miss his sight at all, pointing out things by smell or sound. A remarkably industrial people, I realized, if overly warfare-minded. Should I manage to locate even a few of these people who shared my vision, they could be a tremendous asset.

Old Mudclaw became tired well before evening, and excused himself to go inside. He gave me directions back to the Asura gate, and I left town with far more hope than when I arrived.

HOELBRAK

I stepped through the Gate into the great Norn city of Hoelbrak, and almost immediately collapsed to my knees. Cold! I had never felt such cold in my life! My body shook uncontrollably, and I felt myself being scooped up like a doll into the arms of a massive, fur-wrapped male Norn.

“That’s no way to dress in this weather, little cub” he rumbled. The giant began to move, covering ground rapidly while holding me tightly to the warmth of his barrel chest.

“Don’t suffocate her, Orek!” came a deep female voice nearby. From within the folds of the Norn’s cloak I half heard the conversation between Orek and his mate Ayla, who seemed unaffected by the chill. They made light humor of bringing me to the Bear Lodge, since I was already half bare. Soon enough, we entered a great hall and I was set down by some warm embers and given a steaming mug of some unusual brew that stopped my trembling almost at once. As I recovered, Orek told me their tale.

Orek and Ayla were hunters. All Norn are hunters, it seems. They had grown up together, and become mates when Orek proved his worth in an annual event called “The Great Hunt”. The two had given birth to a little girl with her father’s red hair. She was the flame in her parent’s hearth. Her hunting skills at a young age brought pride to her family. Then at age seven, she got lost outside in a sudden snow storm, and didn’t survive the night. “Little Cub”, Orek used to call her. That’s when I saw the significance behind what Orek had said to me lying at the gate with my red hair.

Their company was as warm as their fire, and they wouldn’t let me leave when it began to get dark. I didn’t complain, and the oversize bed they gave me along with heavy blankets made me feel like I was covered by Mother Ocean. I fell asleep easily.

In the morning Ayla prepared a simple meal for everyone, and then Orek wrapped a blanket about me and carried me back to the Asuran Gate. Yes, these were good people. They gave help to those in need without a second thought. It’s in their nature. When I am ready, I would be truly honored to offer them a place in First In Sending Help.

Cerise convinced me… it’s time! I shall return to land and get a feel for who else might be receptive to joining First In Sending Help. But I wouldn’t trust my safety in Lion’s Arch; not at this time. I had been to the city of the Asura, and found a knowledgeable, helpful spirit in Peacemaker Chief Gliptr who had given me the idea for [FISH] in the first place. Cerise had explained to me about the Asuran Gates. I would use them again to visit the home cities of each of the other predominant terrestrial races!

DIVINITY’S REACH

When I stepped through the gate, a tremendous rumbling noise overhead drew my attention. I stood transfixed watching many huge metal objects dance across the ceiling of the giant glass dome in which I found myself. The noise was almost hurtful to my ears, but the marvelous spectacle was a tonic that took away any trepidation I had.

“Ahem!”

I realized that I must have been standing there gawking for several minutes. An Asura Gate monitor was addressing me with an annoyed look. (They do seem to have that expression down pat).

“Tourists can join the tour group already in progress in the gardens”, she said, gesturing out into the middle of the dome. “Enjoy your stay in Divinity’s Reach”. I realized that I was being dismissed, and she had already forgotten me. So I wandered over to join the group she had indicated.

Lady Annbelle was right! Her fair city is full of marvels and beauty! But so very different from what I am used to, and simply bustling with activity.

Moving along with the tour group, we saw many wondrous things and learned a lot about the city. But my mission kicked in when I overheard a pair of Ministers arguing over a great conflict the Humans were involved in with a race of people called the “Centaurs”. Refugees needed assistance, but resources were stretched thin. Yes, even here in this bastion of civilization, people needed help. I am sure [FISH] would be received well here!

I stayed with the tour group for awhile, until we came to my favorite spot in all of Divinity’s Reach. There is a tunnel near the domed gardens that goes underwater! I felt more comfortable there than any other place else we had seen so far, and I’m afraid the group moved on without my noticing. I spent most of the remaining afternoon just basking in that spot. I’m afraid I lost track of the time, and had to rush back through the gate.

Cerise has a flair for disguise!

Even without Evon’s magical device, she was able to transform my hair so that I hardly recognize myself anymore!

(( The kit cost me 250 gems… I would really appreciate it if Bubbles wasn’t recognized right off the bat, if you catch my drift! ))

Cerise likes red hair, and says she always pictures mermaids as redheads.

Are you saying that something about how culling was addressed messes with the sleep animation? Or is that just the time frame of when this issue was first noticed?

If they can’t fix the sleep animation, at least do something else with her. This looks ridiculous.

A week has passed with no mysterious shipwrecks. I have learned through my growing [FISH] league that my intrepid Captain Storyteller has dropped his hunt for me. In a way, this saddens me. The open search kept me wary yet excited. The noise about the harbor, though, suggests that the unofficial search continues even stronger than before. And where my pursuit by the Captain had some sense of adventure, I now feel apprehension of the unknown threats.

There are also many obvious “threats” that I take with a grain of salt. A group of Asura, for instance, have staked out the rock that got this whole affair started. I have not seen them, but they blunder about making enough noise to scare off every fish in the bay. Fishing nets abound, but most are obviously being deployed by amateurs. No intelligent piscine would ever blunder into one.

I am far more comfortable under the waves, but I need to be able to operate on land eventually if I am to be able to make [FISH] an effective organization. My chief assistant in terrestrial matters is a Sylvari named Cerise who says she belongs to an information gathering organization known as the “Order of Whispers”. She seemed a little disappointed that I had never heard of it, as if being associated with them would enhance her job qualifications in my eyes. But her work is indeed excellent, bringing me more information than I could ever hope to gather skulking around the city at night by myself.

Today, Cerise brought me some grave news about the Krait. It seems they had abducted one of my pursuers as he was blundering about the bay looking for me. (Honestly, why do all Terrestrials think they are capable of stealth and/or speed underwater? It’s no wonder the Krait were able to ambush the unfortunate fellow). The information Cerise had uncovered gave a pretty good indication of where he might be incarcerated. Even though he had been up to no good, I can’t stand to think of anyone being imprisoned by the Krait. I myself had felt their malevolence having just been in their presence.

I told Cerise she needed to let the Order of Whispers know what she had discovered, so that a rescue might be attempted. She told me that she wanted to tell the Order that [FISH] had supplied her with her information, so that we could be seen to help even those who would seek to harm us. But I don’t want Cerise to be a known accomplice until I am finally considered free of all wrongdoing. I wouldn’t have the sweet thing subjected to the same anger and hatred that I have had to face. So I put my fluke down, and told her not to mention us.

Let us hope the rescue goes well.

runeblade.7514:

Arikyali.5804:

-snip-

He is a krait, she is a girl
Can I make it anymore obvious?
He is a slaver, she did spying
What more can I say?

He wanted seaweed, she’d always know
Secretly she wanted to get out
But all of the slavers, stuck up their nose
They had a problem with a karka’s singing voice.

He was a singing karka, he said, “See ya later boy”
The krait wasn’t good for her, she had a pretty face
And slaver’s head was up in space
The kraits needed to come back down to Earth.

Five seconds from now, she sits applaud
Staring the space, she’s all alone
She gets back home, guess who she sees
Singing Karka rocking up Lion Arch music.

(( Let’s see… F11. Click Sound Options tab. There it is… Player Instrument Volume slider! So glad they added that! ))

I returned home to the Salma district where my foster father Andrew and her daughter Petra, my childhood “sister”, raised me at their Inn as one of their own family. I went upstairs to my old room to unpack my belongings, only to find the Lionguard Mira standing smack-dab in the middle of my bed! I knew she needed to recover after the Battle of Claw Island, but why is she there of all places? She won’t interact with me in any manner, and I refuse to sleep there with her stumbling all over me in the dark. I suppose if she were on the floor beside the bed, I could relax long enough to get some shut-eye. But it’s kind of creepy either way.

Please give Mira her marching orders so I can get a good night’s rest in my own bed.

P.S.: It has been well over a month now, and Josir is still beside himself.

EDIT: Pretty much all of the wounded soldiers in the hospital (Salma district) are standing up in the middle of their beds too. They won’t heal very quickly that way!

If you want to see the names of the armor pieces I am wearing, I have no problem with that. If you want to see my stats / build / achievements, etc. you need to get my permission.

VOLKON.1290:

OK… the gas mask… I love it. It turned out to be the perfect complimentary head piece for my engineer. So amazing in fact that it’s worth a thread to show off what you’ve done with your gas masks!

SHIFT+CTRL+Print Screen will take a screen capture without the interface (skill bar, chat, etc.)

You’re gonna get a Guild Member temp-muted if you aren’t careful with photographic evidence like that. (Yes, I know only your Guild saw it live, but here you are posting his indiscretion for all to see.)