Guild Wars 2

“I sustain Zhaitan, and Zhaitan makes me strong.”

“Bow before the power of the dragon!”

“Another meal for my master.”

Even the minor villains we fight in our personal stories are better deserving of being personal nemesies than Scarlet is.

Isn’t the Mordant Crescent in Elona? Now I want to see what Palawa Joko’s been up to…

Oh wow. Just two of all the ascended materials you can make. What’s even the point then? They could at least let you trade off the unrefined stuff as well. They let us do that with Quartz Crystals. Why make it even worse? Well, at least Ascended will hopefully be the last tier.

That’s better. Just do what you want to do. I try to do that too. It’s refreshing to go back to some of the sub 80 levels and just explore, gather some stuff, beating up whatever tries to hurt you along the way. Reminds me how I felt when everything was so new to me, back before the time-gating, back before the awful waypoint combat lock in dungeons, back when I didn’t feel pressured, and could just do things at my own pace.

I know. I just wondered which people would go for. It’s a shame these characters have little impact later on, especially once you get to the order arcs and onward.

And, as I’ve pointed out before, they could’ve easily made Faolain the mastermind behind all of this rather than Scarlet. How, you ask?

-Use her mesmer magic (and maybe one of her courtiers as a middleman) to get the Dredge and Flame Legion to unite.

-The Nightmare Court and Inquest have already been talking to each other and working together in the Brisban Wildlands, so that would explain Faolain being in control of the Aetherblades to some extent.

-Corrupting the watchknights is a bit more of a stretch. But again, she could pick up some knowledge of technology from the Inquest, or kidnap some asura and siphon their knowledge with her mesmer abilities. Plus, nightmare corruption, since the Twisted glow green already.

-Her motivation? She wants to spread death and chaos throughout Tyria (and the nightmare with it), and all her time out of the spotlight has been her preparing to do all this.

And profit! They could’ve expanded on an already existing villain and make her more formidable then she had been in Twilight Arbor. But we didn’t get that.

And of course, while I didn’t play the first Guild Wars, some of those villains seem more interesting then the weedy brat we’re dealing with now. (Or soon, anyway.)

While Scarlet has managed to accomplish a lot compared to them, most of her accomplishments are utterly nonsensical/improbable based on what we know. Also, while those previous villains left some effect on Tyria after they were gone, Scarlet’s left barely any impression.

She united the Dredge and Flame Legion…somehow. Keep in mind that both factions are xenophobic (and sexist, at least in the Flame Legion’s case), so seeing them working together is improbable, and seeing them both working under her is utterly immersion breaking for any who know the lore behind these two groups. They’ve basically shed what little traits their groups had to become mindless minions for Scarlet. Sure, they displaced the norn and charr for a while, but we kicked them right back out, and now nobody really thinks about it. The only lasting thing from them I recall is the nice unlimited pickaxe they made.

She also leads the Aetherblades, somehow. Notice something here? While they went to the trouble to make a short story about her start of darkness, they don’t really explain how she went about forming these alliances and what their motivations for working under her are.

The attack on Lion’s Arch was more Mai Trin than anyone else. And they only managed to kill one member who nobody even cared about, and was replaced soon after, with no benefit to the Aetherblades whatsoever.

Then the Queen’s Jubilee. This would finally be her big chance to shine…except we all saw it coming a mile away. We knew she’d screw up the watchknights, (making them become rather neat-looking enemies was a nice touch though) we knew she’d go after the queen, (she didn’t get the queen due to Anise being very good) and we knew she’d try messing with the Pavilion. Then instead of taking over the rest of Divinity’s Reach like it was implied she’d do, she just sends her minions out to random locations standing around while we kill them until we get the parts we need to get in and kick her out of the Pavilion. Once again, no lasting effect besides the random invasion every now and then.

This feels like a troll post, but I’ll bite this time.

Canach wasn’t really a villain, he awoke the Karka by accident the first time, and while his methods were really dumb, he was still doing what he thought was right in the Secret of Southsun. He still has potential.

Caudecus wasn’t behind the Separatist plot in his manor. (at least I got that impression) And while his plots were easily foiled, he’s managed to cover his tracks well enough that we can’t get rid of him yet.. people are probably more interested in the White Mantle/Mursaat, who he might be working with.

While Zhaitan’s last stand was pitiful, he still rose an entire sunken continent and its dead population. That takes effort.

While Kudu is pretty much a bland nemesis for Zojja, it is somewhat personal if you picked an asuran character who had the weather device as their first invention.

Sorrow’s Embrace shows him as the first to get the dredge to work with them, even for just a while, and shows his experiments with draconic energy. Then he gets away, to be killed in the Crucible of Eternity. Still, he found a way to control dragon minions, something that the Inquest put to use even after his death.

I’ll agree with you on Gaheron, he was bland. And he didn’t reach godhood.

Didn’t fight the Karka Queen from the first time, so can’t comment on it.

Admittedly, Faolain didn’t do much besides waiting for Caithe to show up so she could try turning her evil. Cadyern got an even worse deal than her, the guy created the Nightmare Court and he’s just Faolain’s second in command when we meet him.

And an Inquest Ornithologist (maybe I spelled that wrong) that only shows up if you destroy all the chicken coops fast enough. Maybe she gets fought more now? Correct me if I’m wrong.

Can you even sell them? Most (if not all) of the ascended materials seem to be account bound.

Not sure if this ever gets expanded upon. Still, considering the source…

You’ve won the Snaff Prize, but the Inquest claim that it’s their invention, and they get to take it afterwards (they supposedly had proof, but they don’t show it). You concoct a plan to retrieve it, but they ambush your ambush, capturing Zojja. You rescue her, only to learn that your krewe leader has sold you out, and your krewemate has been captured as well. You can’t go after both, for whatever reason. So, which path would you choose?

Yes. Liam O’Brien actually voices quite a bunch of the male sylvari NPCs throughout the game.

Sadly, unless you’re playing as a warrior or guardian, you pretty much have to kite and spam skill #2 most of the time to avoid being taken down.

It’s a shame too, the sword itself looks great and feels closer to a legendary weapon then any of the actual ones. It has a story behind it, glows when being wielded, hums when swung…it’s just a shame it’s special skills are kinda meh depending on what class you play, and it doesn’t seem to give weapon strength either. Maybe.

Fun out, frustration in.

So they did not at all notice a norn entering their lab and using the console to enter the secret room, nor did they bother to check said secret room in case something broke in there. Oh well, their loss.

On a side note, why are they just saying “he” and “him” and never saying “his” name? Anyone paying attention will know, so why the pointless vagueness of that? Is his name just forbidden to use to them? Whatever he pulled last time must’ve been really bad if they not only kicked him out, but don’t even refer to him by name now.

And yes, I just did it too.

If you talk to mention the genie to Moto, he doesn’t recall it, thinking it to be just a note for a future level (or to get lunch), and says to pay no attention to it.

After doing what it asks, you can ask him what you won for that, and he thinks you’ve been spending too much time in the Box.

You are of course never given the option to mention his past krewe, or the fact that the genie tricked you into pulling an Inquest on them. Thankfully, they (Ketto anyway) seem convinced that Moto did it, so if he takes the fall…that’s his problem.

(Well, I’d better talk to them and see if I can help. Only fair after apparently breaking their experiment.)

She expected them to come rushing in to see what was wrong, and then she would have to silence them all and hide their corpses to avoid trouble. But they didn’t, so she stayed silent and listened to them talk.

“Oh, I feel like someone shoved too many books in my brain. Stupid books, books with pictures in them.”

“I thought..I thought I had everything perfect. I can’t believe I fouled this up so badly.”

“Stay calm. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“The charr stole every towel.”

“I am the color orange!”

“Start initiating the shutdown protocol!”

“Ugh, my head! What’s happening? What’s going on?”

“Just hold still. We’re containing a mysterious surge. Nimbb, Wortt: dissipate the aether flow along the tertiary circuits.”

“One step at a time. Starting the power-up for phase two.”

“Ah, so relaxing. So much knowledge.” (yawns)

“Subject is in presleep state. Neural connection is tethered to the data slipstream. Moving to phase three.”

“Phase three is a go. Full amplification.”

“Wortt, Nimbb: maintain the oscillations and make sure the flux lines remain free and clear.”

“We won’t need those, we’ll be fine.”

“What did I teach you? “Always have a flux line so your experiment will be fine.” Wortt, watch that line."

“Ketto, are you ready?”

“The sublattice is aligned, the refracting core is nominal, and the data slipstream is at 200 units per pulse.”

For a moment, she studied the various parts floating about and the control panel itself. Did she think something was off, did she still have any lingering doubts? Perhaps, but she hesitated only a moment. With one whack of an axe, the machine was broken.

Following the genie’s directions out of curiosity, the hunter finds her target: A console in the back of a lab she hadn’t seen before in Rata Sum. Suprisingly enough, the code worked, and the norn continued on.

After getting through World 2 and facing the most irritating boss in the Box so far, the norn ranger finally made her way to the Sparkling Pools to rest. But she was not alone.

Get rid of them? No. They’re still useful for those below 80. Although, like others have said, being able to forge them into transmutation crystals would be a great thing.

The only champion that goes unfought in Crucible of Eternity. Even though we do technically kill them, they don’t drop a loot box.

Considering that part of Scarlet’s motivation was to avoid falling into the Dreamer/Nightmare Court dichotomy that most Sylvari end up in, it would just derail what little character she has. I’m hoping it turns into a three-way fight between us, the Court, and Scarlet’s minions, and we could either choose to help the court kick Scarlet out, or destroy both of them at the same time.

Then they could just give us the ability to alter the color of the particle effects as well.

Being able to change weapon color would be a great feature. Seems to me the only reason they don’t do it is because certain dungeon sets wouldn’t really have a point anymore.

They seem to just be the Nightmare weapons with a blue glow instead of purple.

The Pale Tree gives her firstborn weapons made out of her wood that have a golden glow and petal effects when out, and hum when swung..at least, if she did make any more. I could see Caithe wielding a pair of Calad-daggers.

Interesting. So it seems they will be making different unlimited gathering tools every once in a while.

As long as we get to kill her or help kill her off for real this time, I’ll be fine.

Interesting. Still, it seems the “new” Nightmare weapons might be the only new thing so far.

I think you’re out of luck here. They’re basically Nightmare weapons except blue instead of purple, or so they seem from what I saw.

DarksunG.9537:

If we can kill off all 3 of the Sylvari it would be a triple WIN!

Eh? Who’s the third? Caithe? No, she can live. Let’s focus on killing Scarlet, and then Faolain too. Maybe.

We must help Faolain win. Scarlet must die.

Nabrok.9023:

Well, from a practical standpoint, it probably costs them a lot more to bring the DE voice actors (Felicia Day!) in to record a few lines, than it does for the voice actors they have for the new characters.

The DE actors are also more likely to have scheduling conflicts and not be able to record in time.

Probably this. Kind makes me sad that we don’t see them much now. But hey, we get to be the actual heroes more!..sorta.

No, please not GW3. Let’s just kill her and forget about her as fast as we can.

On the topic of the Aetherblades, we still don’t know their motivations, where they’re getting so many recruits, (at this point, cloning tech seems to be the only reasonable answer) or why they’re still working for Scarlet when so far their only victory of any kind was getting one of the Lion’s Arch Council killed—and that was more Mai Trin then anyone else. She claims they work for her “because they like living”, but what’s the use when you just get slaughtered wherever you go? I think they have to be brainwashed/corrupted to be still fighting for her after all this.

It’s also speculated that with Zhaitan’s death, his power is spreading to the remaining Risen, making them stronger.

Just noticed this too. Unnecessary change and just makes things worse for people having trouble with these bosses.

Harder=Better? Subjective.

Longer?=Better? No.

Harder and longer=Better? No, no, no. Lies and deceit.

And I’m referring to just normal mode.

Ooooh, okay. I’ll read that..eventually. I just think it’s a little funny that a random ettin shows up, and the kids are like “He looks hungry, let’s give him an apple!” and it works, where if the kids’ parents were with them, they’d probably be yelling, “Kill that thing!”

I’m not sure if this bit has been noticed before, but…

Remember the Shadow of the Dragon you face in the start of the Sylvari storyline right after character creation? While Caithe and the Pale Tree seem to think fighting this thing means you’re to fight Zhaitan, it actually also hints at the nightmare being connected to Mordremoth. The Shadow of the Dragon is very plantlike, with trees all over its back and wings made of branches, and uses thorns and brambles to attack you..much like the Blighted. Another thing is that the only enemies you face before the dragon are Nightmare Hounds. No Courtiers show up at all throughout this.

They probably pulled the “sensory deprivation device” thing to dodge a bullet. Regardless, the short story pretty much says that her mind went somewhere else during all that, (probably into the Dream itself?) and the Pale Tree showing up and warning her to not go further implies it even more.

Now they’re just playing vague to see what answer we’d prefer, wheter she saw the Eternal Alchemy, the Dream/Nightmare/Mists, or just went crazy in there.

If that’s a joke, I don’t get it. And I wasn’t born in the 80’s, so…meh? Too bad we can’t make all the ettin friendly by giving them apples.

I have to agree with this. There are so many other things we could be focusing on, even relating to just Tyria in particular, let alone all the things that happened in Cantha and Elona. There’s at least another “Pale Tree” out there. The White Mantle are still around (not even living, but their ghosts are), the Crystal Desert is still sealed off, the Maguuma Wastes are also unreachable, though it’s implied something is going on there, if not the other Pale Tree, than the jungle dragon. All the other elder dragons are still just doing their thing wherever they are, and we’ve got the tengu, the largos, that spot between the Grove and Rata Sum that isn’t filled, the deep water that the quaggan and krait were driven out of…need I go on?

Will we get to kill her this time?

(Probably not, but I can hope.)

The only good thing about Scarlet (to me) is her voice actress. We still don’t know what her real goal is besides messing with the world because she can, we still don’t know this “grand design” she’s trying to subvert, and despite trying to avoid the Dream/Nightmare dichotomy, she seems to be Nightmare by this point and either doesn’t realize that or doesn’t want to admit it. Just another “Hey let’s kill everyone while laughing maniacally” villain. We could’ve easily replaced her with Faolain.

Yep. Plenty of stuff more fun to do. Tequatl can have the Splintered Coast. What else is it gonna do besides kill some krait?