Guild Wars 2

I am bitterly disappointed with the idea that Mordremoth is behind this but have to concede that it he is the most likely candidate for the antagonist overarching Scarlet.

Still, having said that, in response to your own query Aaron – I agree, there is a rather obvious logical loophole in the idea that the leylines are pivotal to any attack on LA. You no doubt recall Konig’s suggestion that Scarlet wishes to recreate Thaumanova 2.0. Essentially, utilizing her Aethercannon, she will blast the leyline intersection, possibly destroying not only LA but also greater Tyria. This is the only real explanation that makes any sense to me. (In conclusion, it is a really weak plot-point in the finale. The significance of the copious thumpers placed across the continent is marginalized when we learn that the probe at LA is the only one that makes any strategic sense.)

However, there is the possibility that Scarlet has been searching for leyline intersections across Tyria that are indications of “weak points” in the continent’s come planet’s crust. She intends to blast each point with her Aethercannon, thereby destroying Tyria and using the various raw elements of the EA (fire, earth, air, water, aether) to recreate it. Understandably, any such effort must start somewhere and LA is a strategic bastion that is best eliminated sooner rather than later. Whatever, I really don’t have a clue…

This is an interesting theory. I’m not sure if I would write it off either, regardless of how much traction it is now gaining. I’ll be braced for developments.

The Thorn Vine watched whilst the human tucked her away into it’s satchel. Although the husks were closing in, the human was too quick for them – they only ever followed in his footsteps. With the seed in his bag, the human was gone and with him the heart of the Vine…

But love never forgets, nor hate. It was out of love that the Vine went in search of his lost passion; out of hate that he sought the life of the human who stole her from him. They would be together forever and no one would ever come between them again. At first the pursuit seemed fruitless, if only because the Vine’s growth was so slow. But the hare’s racy dash cannot compete with the methodical plod of the tortoise. Eventually, the forest floor yielded memories of the human’s retreat, to her.
He found her, at long last. They were together again: entwined…

She flowered in his embrace and their progeny began the long cycle of their development. He whispered sweet words to her, crooning softly into the depths of her being. “Dearheart.” The human had planted her upon the graves of his family before joining them in death. A centaur had tended her into maturity and now the Vine had found her. Though she did not recall him, his touch was familiar to her – she knew he was the one.

In those tentative years the Maguuma flourished and with it the Dream – her Dream. Everything was as it should be. The centaur had carved his teachings onto a tablet – it was a precious reminder to her of her formative years and of the Tyria she wished for her children to inherit. Aware of this, the Vine grasped it in his tendrils and drew it up before her, so that it was always suspended before her gaze. With each day, she cast her sights upon it and then upon him. He had never been happier.

But something stirred within the continent’s bowels – something which changed everything. She noticed it one day: Seemingly overnight, he had changed. The slack grasp of the vines had tightened to a frigid lock. He squeezed her trunk so tightly that he opened sores; for the first time she experienced pain. “What is it, my love?” she breathed quietly. He did not respond. In the distance, birds took to the sky in flight; the creatures of the ground rushed by. A faint thunder pressured the air. He was poised in concentration, straining to discern the source of the disturbance.

The wave heralded the return of the reptiles and with them, the humans who had taken her from him. The fierce hate of his youth which had consumed him in his quest to recover her suddenly and uncontrollably welled up again – he strained against her girth. “You cannot have her!” He saw it all – the dead weight slouching in his grasp portended every evil end of which he was petrified: She would be lost forever and all of his efforts at the utopia they enjoyed would be gone. He hated the slab of rock then as much as he hated the human – indeed, all humans – he even hated the centaur. Who were they to steal her affections away for themselves, to serve their own designs? What right did they have to turn her against him?

And she was against him, in spite of his pleading and imploring she would not listen. The reptiles threatened others whom she loved and she could not abandon them any more than perfect love abandons those it to whom it is shown. It was not as though her concerns were ignored. He gingerly eyed their progeny, terrified for their wellbeing. And so in his maddened state he grew his thorns stronger and tougher than ever before – he became something more than even he believed that he could be: Her shield, the shield of their children, a bastion in the Maguuma, protecting them all from the reptiles and the meddling races. Indeed, he was powerful – so powerful that she could not bear his entwining any longer. So she shut him out.

Thus began the war between them…

Hey, does anyone remember the novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde”? I wonder if it is an appropriate allegory for this story-arc? Maybe Ceara has (or is) transforming into something else as a result of exposure to chaos magic and/or the toxin she developed? Maybe she uses the toxin on herself?

I wonder if Ceara’s exposure to the chaos magic released at the Thaumanova reactor has anything to do with this? Was she exposed at that time to an entity like a “chaos beast”?

Alternatively, could be be ore to Omadd than we realize?

In my studies of alchemy, I came across something that I wanted to add to this thread that may be relevant. Esoteric and Hermetic interpretations of alchemy make it a spiritual (as much as a physical) process – that is to say, the alchemist is transmuted as much as his or her substances.

This inner “transmutation” is represented by four colors: Black, white, yellow and red. Intriguingly, Ceara had a “golden” (or yellow) bio-luminescent glow before she entered Omadd’s isolation module. Exiting it (and having viewed the Eternal Alchemy) Scarlet had a red bio-luminescence. I wonder whether this represented the point at which the inner conflict recorded in Ceara’s/Scarlet’s journal ended: Dream was lost to Nightmare. Alternatively, this may have been the first point at which it began. I’m not sure, I just thought that I’d add this to this thread in case it helps others in their theorycrafting

A slight correction, I still think that if this is more than merely an internal crisis for Ceara, whatever being is behind this will be (what I can only really describe as) “fundamental”. I lump Elder Dragons into this category, as well as personified concepts like Dream, Nightmare and the Elements/Aspects of the Eternal Alchemy (although I really don’t know what they all are).

Hi guys,
It was a bit enthusiastic of me to be so forward with my ideas. I accept your criticisms, which have helped me to form a clearer understanding of Ceara’s malady.

I was reading about Apollonian and Dionysian dichotomy theory today and was struck by a reference to the work of humanist Camille Paglia. She believes that there is a biological basis to the dichotomy. Essentially, the higher cortex of a being is wrestling with it’s older, limbic and reptilian brain. I found this interesting, if only because it suggests that Ceara may be wrestling with herself and it also answers a long-standing question of mine regarding Scarlet’s choice of the krait for the “water” alliance:

Being reptilian, the krait were better suited to synergise with the Nightmare of sylvari consciousness. If this is correct, the idea would be that Scarlet was attempting to break the cycle of Dream and Nightmare represented by the Pale Tree and the Thorn Vine by producing a plant only representing Nightmare and producing progeny that could be termed “Nightmares” – hence the name of the concept art The Nightmare Incarnate. Anyway, that is all that I can really add to this.

Admittedly, an Elder Dragon could still be involved and this insight about the dichotomy could be a hint about the intended role of sylvari.

“We were entwined”

Distributed to the north-west of the Pale Tree are four humble shrub-like trees: The terebinth. Terebinth are unusual plants; male and female plants must be present to sustain their population. Two of the four terebinth of Tyria are bearing fruit: The wardenlight tree and the Revered Terebinth of the Brisban Wildlands. The remaining two are not. Given this, we could argue that the wardenlight tree and the Revered Terebinth are female, whereas the trees of Arias’s garden are male. But such an argument is hard to sustain at this point, if only because we lack more information about the terebinth population.

Tyrian terebinth have an unusual form: When you study them, you will see that the tree has what appears to be two symmetrical trunks. When you consider this form, an adjective may form in the back of your mind, which you could use to describe it: Entwined.

The word is used by sylvari to describe their love relationships. Caithe and Faolain, entwined; Morrigu and Laurent, entwined; the Pale Tree and the Thorn Vine, entwined (in the Short Story: What Scarlet Saw, the vine is said to cling to the Pale Tree “like a desperate lover”). This imagery extends into human religion to describe the intricate nature of the goddess Lyssa: The twins are said to be entwined.

The idea behind entwining is that it’s two constituents are (or at least should be) inseparable. The life cycle of one cannot truly be completed without the other.

Hey, I was reading Scarlet’s journal again. She writes,

“Tonight, I saw it. I stared into the abyss, and it stared back at me. So much power. I don’t know what’s real and what isn’t anymore.”

This is similar to the words of Friedrich Nietzsche:
“He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you.”

Nietzsche promoted an idea he coined the “Apollonian/Dionysian dichotomy”. Could Ceara be wrestling with herself? Ceara may represent Dream, whereas Scarlet represents NIghtmare? I really don’t know, although I think that maybe this dichotomy served as the inspiration for the in-game concepts Dream and Nightmare.

In the matter of possible djinn “hiding” among us, I would like to propose three potential figures:
1) The Old Man Of Auld Red Wharf
2) Lady Grimassi
3) Isgarren

This is pure speculation.

Hereafter I am presenting a theory regarding the possible identity of the entity. I propose that the being behind Ceara is what could be termed a “fundamental being” or an “elemental being”. This kind of being is “pure” and “simple” in nature. What I mean by this is that it is composed (almost entirely, if not completely) by one of the five (or six) elements of alchemy.

Such beings are commonplace in Tyria. The most obvious are elementals. For fire, we have fire elementals; water, water elementals; earth, earth elementals; air, air elementals. In the case of aether, it is not as easy to find a corresponding “fundamental being”, although a chaos beast is a strong contender for this category. We also have djinn. These beings seem to be of a higher order than elementals, predominantly in regards to their sentience. They too are “fundamental beings” although they arguably could be re-categorized entirely. Of these beings, I propose that a djinn is a strong contender for the entity (credit for this suggestion goes to Etoain; my own investigation has led me to concur with him that this is a strong contender for the entity).
We also have the Elder Dragons – sure, they don’t seem to be representatives of an element, but they do seem to embody certain forms of magic (I can’t remember who pioneered this theory (aka that EDs are embodied eldritch energies), could someone supply a name?). In this way, they are what could be termed “fundamental beings”.
We also have the primordial beings, hinted at in the religions of lesser races such as the grawl, hylek and so on. These beings are possibly the simplest in existence in that they are the closest to the act of creation. Such entities would be Dhuum, “Chaos” (if the concept embodied by chaos beasts can be personified), possibly also the Dream and the Nightmare, and so on and so forth.

In summary, I propose that the entity is what I will term a “fundamental” being, something which could only be encountered in the Eternal Alchemy which represents an element/aspect of it: A djinn, an elder dragon or a primordial being.

There are probably a number of different themes woven into her choice of a name, which we may be able to identify with greater clarity soon. Nonetheless, the meaning suggested by Psynch does fit quite well given Ceara’s personality.

Ceara is currently working toward creating (or may have already created) the philosopher’s stone. The process of completing this monumentous task is known in alchemy as the “Magnum Opus” or Great Work.

The philosopher’s stone could be a stone (or crystal), it could be an elixir (in particular, the exlixir of life), or even something else. Given that the asura have a penchant for elixir creation and Ceara’s development of the toxin from the Tower Of Nightmares, I suggest that an elixir is a strong possibility.

Hi guys!
I concede bringing up the Old Man Of Auld Red Wharf is probably a bit of a stretch.

On the subject of exactly what the elements are, I agree that there may be more than five even, maybe more like six. So we could argue that Ceara has acquired:
1) The element of fire
2) The element of air
3) The element of earth
4) The element of water
5) The element of aether
6) The element of time (?)

On the subject of aether, it is my suggestion that this is the “first matter” from which everything else comes (or something close to that). Aether is the purest form of being, which has various kinds of sub-form in-game, such as arcane magic and chaos magic.

I would like to add a quick note to this post. Although the evidence is scant, I contend that the Old Man Of Auld Red Wharf’s disappearance was not accidental: Nor was it simply the removal of extraneous assets by development. He fits into this story-arc somehow. I further contend that he may be Kasmeer Meade’s “father” and may be even more…

What I am presenting in this post is one of a number of explanations for the reason(s) behind Ceara’s formation of the various alliances. The general consensus thus far is that she did so for resources. I would like to suggest what those resources might be when we consider what Ceara has seen: The Eternal Alchemy. Alchemy is obsessed with four (or five) elements. These elements are considered to be the simplest forms of matter from which all other matter (and everything else for that matter) comes. Ceara has acquired these elements from the various groups involved in her alliances. These elements are embodied in mineral crystals.

1) Searing Crystal (possibly sunstone). This mineral crystal represents the element fire. This crystal was supplied by the Flame Legion (part of the Molten Alliance).
2) Azurite. A form of calcium carbonate, this crystal represents the element earth. It deteriorates rapidly above ground and also in the presence of water, which is why it was mined below-ground. This mineral was supplied by the Dredge (part of the Molten Alliance).
3) Quartz. This crystal represents the element air. It was supplied by the Aetherblades, who stole it from the Zepyhrites.
4) Krait Obelisk Shard (a mineral naturally occurring in seawater, such as calcite). This crystal represents the element water. (The back story behind the recovery of this mineral may be part of the reason for the mysterious disappearance of the Old Man Of Auld Red Wharf.) Ceara does not appear to have acquired this from the krait per se.

Ceara may also have a fifth element in her possession: Aether. It is hard to tell exactly what crystal represents this, although bloodstone is a candidate, as is chaos crystal. These four (or five) elements, used in conjunction with one another, may form the basis of Ceara’s understanding of the Eternal Alchemy. These elements are utilized by alchemists in their pursuit of the philosopher’s stone. The red stone often considered the “eye” of an Elder Dragon, discovered in Ceara’s lair, is possibly a reference to this, as the stone itself was often depicted red.

This is all I have for now. Feel free to scrutinize this. My understanding of the origins of these minerals may not be entirely correct, so clarification is always welcome. I plan to post more about the entity in the future. In the meantime, thanks for reading this post.

Hi everyone!
I have bumped this – I know. But I have done so because we have forgotten about the lessons of Thaumanova and given the nature of some of the recent developments in Scarlet’s story, it might make a bit more sense and be relevant to our current investigations.

Hi all!
Hey does anyone remember in the Tower Of Nightmares, Kasmeer refers to “someone” messing with everyone’s’ minds? Kasmeer says, “Someone – I’ll call her Scarlet – is messing with our heads” (or something very close to this – you can check the exact wording on the Wiki under the Tower Of Nightmares instance). But the point is that only someone like Kasmeer could sense the true identity of whoever is behind this (other than Ceara that is). In the Dead End Kasmeer says that if she and Marjory patrol through Divinity’s Reach Kasmeer “will know” if whoever they talk to is lying. She is a powerful Mesmer and would be able to do so.

So my question is: Is the entity behind this “male” or “female”? Are Kasmeer’s words used in reference only to Ceara, the Tower itself (which was sentient) or someone else? If the entity is “female” what does this mean for our current theories?

Hi Etaoin,
You pointed out that there was an entity at the Thaumanova Reactor? Would you or anyone else be able to clarify this for us? Which entity are you referring to? Thanks

Hey FlamingFoxx,
I think that your idea is really good. Granted the thoery linking Mordremoth to the Nightmare Court isn’t new but then again new information may be at hand helping us to understand the dynamics behind this.

One thing that I find interesting is that the Champion Partially Consumed Husks of the Three-headed Great Jungle Wurm of Bloodtide Coast are infected with parasites from the Wurm’s digestive system. I wonder if those same parasites are what we observe in greater detail on the Champion Ancient Rotting Oakheart of Queensdale (and the Veterna Rotting Oakheart of Thaumanova, which was probably displaced from Queensdale and may well have been infected by the Champion) and if said parasites are also present in the Veteran Mosshearts of the Ogham Wilds. The visually identical effects at both the Great Weald and Aria’s Garden are the only things connecting these two locations, only in that although at the Ogham Wilds Wurms are present (surrounding the base of the Pale Tree and possibly also actually boring into the PT’s trunk) this does not seem to be the case at Queensdale. I suppose my point is simply that my association of the Champion Partially Consumed Husks with these other events is hampered by a lack of any other associative evidence.

Anyway, returning to your idea: Great thought. It will be interesting to see what develops in the future.

I agree Blurk. The Pale Tree clearly knows that the entity exists and probably knows what it is – that is to say, she may not know it by name, but she may well recognize it by “feel”. I am surprised that more effort was not put into incorporating the Pale Tree into this story arc. She should be spear-heading the attempts to shut Ceara down or even redeem her. This lackluster response is just really sad. I feel for the Nightmare Court right now. With an irresponsible mother like the PT, I’d join the Court too.

Hey guys,
I was reading about the Omphalos Chamber. I wanted to know what omphalos meant and learned that it probably refers to Ventari’s Tablet. Furthermore, the omphalous may be a baetylus which was considered to be formed from a meteorite – that is to say, the stone on which Ventari wrote may not originate from Tyria. What do you think?

What I also wondered about was the Oracle of Greek mythology. In Indiana Jones And The Peril At Delphi those who hold the omphalos are considered to be able to see into the near and distant future. The Pale Tree (appears) to be holding the tablet – could this be the reason why she (and other dreamers) can perceive the future?

The Tower Of Nightmares appears to either be a small shrub or a plant that was not designed to grow to such a height unaided (in the wild it might require a tall tree for support). Hence not only the Tower but also the offshoots are supported by a frame in like manner to the Tower itself. Anyhow, the shoots may form in any number of ways – they may sprout from the remaining roots of the Tower or from the remaining spores released by the Tower and/or it’s offshoots. This seems fitting, since plants in real life often do the same thing.

Hi guys,
One of the posters stated that there are two dragons painted in Scarlet’s lair. Can we confirm this? If so can someone provide screenshots? Thanks heaps

But why would the Nightmare try to consume Ceara? For simplicity, let us try to answer this question by considering the thorn vine as a plant. Unlike the drupe-bearing Pale Tree, the thorn vine produces nothing of value – no fruit. As it represents the Nightmare, this places it at an immediate disadvantage. The Dream has the loyalty of the Pale Tree and as such, the majority of her fruit will be loyal to it. This means that the Dream is over-represented in comparison to the Nightmare. The thorn vine has responded by effectively “stealing” fruit from the Pale Tree: It cannot summon what could be termed “nightmares” (for want of a better word) and so corrupts “dreams”. So far it has managed to win the support of no more than 15% of the sylvari population but this is still not enough to balance the Dream and provide it with the advocacy it requires to achieve it’s goals.

What are the thorn vine’s goals? The vine is a survivor – it intends to outlast everyone and everything. There are indications that it is older than the Pale Tree. There are a number of trees in Caledon Forest through which the vine passes on it’s way to the Pale Tree. One such example of a tree is found at Dreamdark Enclave. This Nightmare Court hideout is part of the trunk of an enormous tree – now dead – into the base of which the thorn vine has grown. Given the height of this tree alone the vine may be as much as twice the age of the Pale Tree or even older (it may have come from west of the Brisban Wildlands, suggesting that it may even be ancient). The point is that the vine may have encountered the Elder Dragons before; even if it hasn’t, it is worried about it’s future. But above all else it intends to survive and has employed some clever ideas to try to.

The Nightmare Tree nurtured by Faolain may well have been one of the first attempts by the vine to secure for itself a formidable fighting force with which not only to defeat the Pale Tree (if need be) but also combat the Elder Dragons. The Nightmare Tree was reared in the heart of Twilight Arbor – in the heart of the vine itself. What appear to be adventitious buds of the vine surround the Nightmare Tree in TA:Story and TA:EXP. The tree, then, may not actually be a “tree” as much as a shoot of the Nightmare Vine, growing from it’s root. Whatever the case, this tree was said to whisper into the minds of three powerful Nightmare Courtiers, amplifying their darkest desires, with the intent of using them to conquer Tyria and possibly also the Elder Dragons. Indeed, the Nightmare Tree is not alone in it’s ability to telepathically communicate. Arboreal spirits in the Brisban Wildlands demonstrate this ability as does the Pale Tree herself.

The problem with the Nightmare Tree of Twilight Arbor is that it did not bear fruit. If it was a real tree, it is possible that like the Pale Tree it would produces drupes of creatures akin to if not sylvari themselves. Still, it did not. What the thorn vine needs are minions of it’s own devising that it can control from awakening – minions that it does not have to expend unnecessary amounts of energy corrupting when it could divert it’s attention to more important matters. Furthermore, it needs minions that are not easily defeated by the riff-raff of Tyria. This is where Ceara may come in. Her expertise is in the creation of things that are under her direct control. Thus, she has created Twisted Nightmares, Horrors, Reavers and Menders for the Nightmare – all of which are superior in their abilities to anything yet to awaken from the ranks of the sylvari (at least in the thorn vine’s mind anyway).

The thorn vine may well see the future, just like the Pale Tree herself. But whereas the Pale Tree may see only some of the darkest possible paths ahead for Tyria, the thorn vine invariably sees all of them. Where the Pale Tree is an optimist, the thorn vine is a pragmatist. Dark times call for desperate measures and the thorn vine may well fear one Elder Dragon above all others: Primordus. With roots reaching deep into Tyria, the vine is no doubt aware of the inevitable fire that is rising to overtake Tyria. It knows that it needs to prepare. It has seen futures, none of which end well; it may well have lived through pasts, none of which have boded well either. It plans for it’s survival…

As I have previously stated this is just speculation on my part. I am aware of a number of flaws in this proposal but thought that I would share it whilst “the going was good” as it were. I note that there is just as much evidence in favor of considering Ceara’s actions as the work of an Elder Dragon.

I want to share my opinion of the origin of Ceara’s malady. It is not my intention to address any theories relating to Elder Dragons in this post, however, not so much because said theories are implausible, more so because they are so popular that they are too commonplace for any productive discussion. Nonetheless, theories placing Ceara under the influence of an Elder Dragon are strong and should not be dismissed.

It is my opinion that Ceara is somehow being influenced by the Nightmare. There are a number of reasons why I entertain this idea. Firstly, the recent discovery of a thorn vine scaling the Pale Tree presents us with new information about the nature of the Nightmare. As the Pale Tree represents the Dream, the thorn vine represents the Nightmare. Exactly what the thorn vine really is – the tail of Mordremoth, an Elder Dragon champion or even just a dark entity – is hard to define at this time. However, it appears (for now at least) to be no more than a climbing plant. Granted, it is parasitic and seems to feed on “Dream magic” in like manner to Elder Dragons, who also feed on magic. However, there are a number of other creatures within Tyria right now, including the Pale Tree herself, who feed on magic and are not considered Elder Dragons as a result – the point being that this line of inquiry is easily exhausted at this tentative point and so should not be pursued much farther.

The reason the thorn vine is so important in Ceara’s case is that it is one of a number of prime candidates for the being to which the Pale Tree refers, which looked back at Ceara as she looked at it. Certainly, when Ceara looked at the Pale Tree the Pale Tree engaged her, indicating that the tree, clearly a powerful psychic, was aware of her presence. In other words, you could say that the tree looked back at Ceara – but it wasn’t the only sentient being doing so. The thorn vine also looked back. What if it tried to make contact with her?

Secondly, when she left her ecstatic state Ceara renamed herself “Scarlet Briar”, her demeanor changed from golden to crimson, she became stronger and also grew thorns, with which she quickly dispatched Omadd. This kind of outward change in demeanor is always exhibited by Nightmare Hounds. They become stronger and always grow thorns. Still, it doesn’t seem to be something that Nightmare sylvari do: When they turn to Nightmare, they do not consistently seem to grow thorns. This may be because Nightmare sylvari can control their ability to grow thorns in the same way that they can control their ability to grow clothes and other adornments. That is to say, although all sylvari can grow thorns (consider the female sylvari PC’s statement: “This rose has thorns, here they are”), Nightmare sylvari may have a particular inclination to do so literally – in the right situations of course. Nightmare Hounds on the other hand, who are not self-aware, may not be able to control their subconscious and so cannot conceal their thorns.

Thirdly, Ceara seems to take the place of Faolain in a number of ways. Certainly, Ceara doesn’t lead the Nightmare Court – indeed, she may not even lead the splinter group forming the Toxic Alliance. However, there are parallels between her and Faolain which should be considered. To begin, the pre-Twilight Assault release Twilight Arbor dungeon loading screen depicted a thorny Faolain reclining in a thorn vine flanked by two Nightmare Hounds. The picture conveys that idea that Faolain herself has sprouted thorns in like manner to Ceara. Sure, the in-game models of both characters do not depict this but my former point is that this may be because Nightmare sylvari can conceal/contract their thorns. Again, Ceara seems obsessed with Caithe – a quality formerly only exhibited by Faolain. Her familiarity with Caithe is not just the idol worship of youth – Ceara knows Caithe’s darkest secrets and the Pale Tree didn’t tell her. Furthermore, gaining these secrets is not something one does by viewing a “system” (that is to say that you don’t learn this from the Eternal Alchemy) but by conversing with those who know Caithe, like Faolain and the Nightmare. However, it is clear that Ceara did not consult Faolain because she knows things about Caithe that even Faolain doesn’t know. To continue, Ceara is raving mad, much in the same way as Faolain. In their own ways, the two sylvari differ in the way in which their madness is exhibited, but it is nonetheless evident that both have lost their minds – just consider how both laugh maniacally.

“I mean according to the “What Scarlet Saw” story, she came right out of the tree a little off.”

That is an interesting observation. Mender Serimon seems to have tried to help Ceara, but she refused his assistance. Was Ceara injured by the Nightmare whilst Dreaming? If so, what kind of injury could she have sustained that would lead to a descent into her current state of mind?

I’m still not convinced that Ceara’s journal predates her ecstatic experience. However, I’m not ruling it out.

One interesting aspect of Ceara’s transformation, as Psynch pointed out, is that after her participation in Omadd’s experience she became stronger, then killed the asura with thorns. Is it possible that these things are also what happens to sylvan hounds? They grow thorns and often become “bigger” or “stronger”. Is it also possible that Ceara is not the first to be assaulted by an Elder Dragon through the Nightmare? Could Faolain have been assaulted by the same ED or even Zaithan?

Given what I have seen on other threads, Primordus is a strong contender. I asked Psynch for his opinion and he believes that Mordremoth may also be involved. It would be interesting to see if the Elder Dragons are now prepared to cooperate in order to defeat the other sentient races.

Scarlet saw at least two things in her ecstatic state. The first was the Pale Tree. The second was the thorn vine growing around it. Could it be that like the Pale Tree, the vine is also sentient and psychically aware?

She may be battling with it as it tries to overtake her. In a sense, she may be wrestling with the Nightmare. Although she may consider herself Soundless, clearly her integrity is being assaulted by a powerful psychic being.

Still, it feels safe to consider an ED the main contender. Scarlet is no psycher – certainly nothing like Queen Jennah. I can’t imagine that she could hold out forever….

As much as I want Scarlet’s demise to involve anything other than an Elder Dragon, I think that the deepest, darkest being gazing back at you could only really be an Elder Dragon. Still, she did have an out-of-body experience and might well have encountered any number of beings. Who knows. I’m looking forward to any other nuggets that you dig up.

I just wanted to add my two-cents worth to this thread. I was thinking about what the fire that is rising and cannot be contained might be. It is possible that the Mysterious Probes are surveying the land for a natural resource – fossil fuel. This comes in many forms. But one in particular may be of significance: Coal (seams). Coal fires can rage underground for extended periods and are extremely hard to contain.

Coal would also explain the Steam Creatures, who rely on it to survive and this may have been the way that Scarlet recruited them. They may have initially ported to Lornar’s Pass because it has a high-coal content as evidenced by the mining activities of the dredge in the local region.

The husks are significant in this because they appear to be modeled after various forms of decayed organic matter, particularly coniferous trees which are considered to be among the foremost producers of terpene. So then, the glowing orange center of husks represents either “amber” (i.e. solidified tree resin) or terpene or even just smoldering peat. This explains the presence of “Flame-touched” Husks, which are dead plant matter stored under pressure underground, possibly in contact with volcanic activity or simply so pressurized that they begin to smolder.

I think that the idea that it has something to do with the Bloodstones is neat. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Hi Konig,
I followed most of the links you provided your response. Although I think that in some cases the term “avatar” is used correctly in at least one of the examples you provided – that is, it was used to denote a representative of a divine (or supremely powerful) being, I nonetheless concede that other examples illustrate that the term is not used to necessarily convey “divine nature”. I await further revelations about who the Avatars Of Blight represent (that is, who they are “working for”) with some anticipation.

Hi guys,
I’ve been directed toward some preview scenes of combat associated with the new three-headed Wurm boss of the Bloodtide Coast. It appears that Flame-touched Husks are present. This completely refutes my pre-existing theory and appears to vindicate the traditional position (that Summoned Husks are Mordremoth’s minions).

It looks like I am going to be spending a lot of time slaving over the oven, baking humble pie (and eating it too, of course). Haha!

The word “Avatar” is a religious technical term of Hindu origin used of a concept similar to the Western idea of “incarnation”: The manifestation or appearance of a deity within a plane of existence. The term is used in GW2 infrequently; there is an avatar of Balthazar (the PC becomes the god’s avatar during his or her personal story), an avatar of Grenth (there are two examples of this: one encountered during the PC’s personal story and another, an elite transformation skill), an avatar of Melandru (an elite transformational skill), an avatar of the Sun (merely referred to but never encountered) and an avatar of the Pale Tree. Balthazar, Grenth and Melandru are all human deities, demonstrating that the use of the term “avatar” in relation to them stays true to the nature of the concept. In the short story “What Scarlet Saw” the Pale Tree is described as “godlike”, demonstrating that the use of the term “avatar” in relation to it is (probably) also true to the nature of the concept. Regarding the avatar of the Sun, although it is never encountered in-game (the hylek trying to become an avatar of the Sun is thwarted in his plans) the Sun is worshiped by the hylek (in Caledon Forest a group event called “Champion Of The Sun” confirms this), again demonstrating that the use of the term “avatar” by the hylek is true to the nature of the concept. These observations are very important; the consistency of the circumstances behind the employment of the term “avatar” evinces that the definition of “avatar” in GW2 is almost identical to that of “avatar” in the real-world.

So why all the fuss? Lore-enthusiasts will probably already know the answer to this question. There is one more situation in which the term “avatar” is employed in-game: It is used of three Summoned Husks during the meta-event “The Battle For Wychmire Swamp”. These husks are called the “Avatars Of Blight”.

At first glance, the “Avatars Of Blight” are the odd-ones-out in the previous list of examples. In every other case, only one avatar of a corresponding deity is seen at a time. Here, we have three avatars. Surely, then, this is a case of incorrect labeling – that is, development must have made a mistake. The “Avatars Of Blight” don’t represent a deity or deities – the term is not used like it is everywhere else in the game; instead, here it is used in the vaguer sense to describe the embodiment of something, regardless of it’s origins.

Or is it? Hindu religion often referred to the existence of multiple avatars of a deity within the same plane of existence. Moreover, the avatar of Grenth encountered during the PC’s personal story is one of the deity’s reapers – of which there are (when last confirmed) seven, suggesting that Grenth may have seven avatars. So whilst we can concede that the “Avatars Of Blight” may not correspond to known (i.e. identified) deities within GW2, there is no reason to consider that they do not represent powerful beings.

To what should we look for greater insight into the “Avatars Of Blight”? The best candidate is the Avatar Of The Pale Tree. Although it looks nothing like the “Avatars Of Blight”, the Avatar Of The Pale Tree is the most prominent example of a race of plant-beings we know as sylvari. In the same way, the Avatars Of Blight are the most prominent examples of plant-beings known as (Summoned) Husks. Still, the problem we quickly encounter during this comparison is the evident lack of greater beings to associate with the “Avatars Of Blight”. The Avatar Of The Pale Tree is a manifestation of a tree. Likewise, the other examples of avatars are representations of something – or someone – greater than themselves. So what are the “Avatars Of Blight” manifestations of? “Dead” trees?

There is evidence in support of this. Two locations at which Summoned Husks can be observed – Wychmire Swamp (which I will use to denote not only the swamp but also Twilight Arbor given it’s geographic proximity to the mire) and Dreamdark Enclave – are the sites of the trunks of dead trees. Indeed, there are numerous dead trees at Wychmre Swamp; maybe three, maybe more?

In conclusion, i’m not sure whether we can make much more headway on this subject at this point, given the information available in-game and on the Wiki. However, in my opinion, the nature and identity of these three beings remains one of the most enduring mysteries of GW2 right now.

Taming Jungle Wurms is risky business. Most likely wurms are reared from hatchling; mature Jungle Wurms are harder to manage. Once tamed into Nightmare Vines they spit black ichor. This is probably the main reason why the Great Jungle Wurm is not a Nightmare Vine – despite it’s description as such in the Wiki. For the Great Jungle Wurm behaves much like a number of other prominent mature wurms around Tyria, most notably the Champion Ice Wurms of the Shiverpeaks, the Champion Plains Wurms of Ascalon, Issormir and Champion Giant Sand Wurms of the Mists. But most importantly, it doesn’t spit black ichor (in contrast the newly introduced Toxic Wurms do; note that they have been tamed by a faction of the Nightmare Court).

What are we to make of the Summoned Husks and Nightmare Hounds present at the Great Jungle Wurm’s spawning, then? Traditionally, the prevailing view has been that the wurm “summons” them. However, the husks and hounds spawn much sooner than the wurm. In the sequence of events, the wurm is the last creature to emerge. If indeed the wurm was behind the spawning of the husks and the hounds it seems very unusual that the Inquest have never taken the time to rear one in, of all places, the Crucible Of Eternity. It isn’t as though they can’t – they have bases throughout the Maguuma Jungle, the Maguuman Jungle Wurms’ native habitat. (Still, one point in favor of associating Summoned Husks with Jungle Wurms is that wurms in GW1 commonly “dropped” husks when killed. Thus, husks may be the various shed skins of Jungle Wurms.)

Gamarien’s fear that a “much darker force” is behind the Battle For Wychmire Swamp is probably the strongest counter to the argument against associating the Great Jungle Wurm with Summoned Husks. After all, when Gamarien finally faces the wurm he describes it as an “abomination” which “holds no sway over” him. What could be darker than an abomination? However, Gamarien is mistaken if he believes that the darkness behind the Battle has been defeated with the demise of the Great Jungle Wurm. As he himself states, "I thought this would end it, but I still feel darkness and death in this place, even with the Great Wurm dead”. Clearly, something else is behind it.

Opinions will remain divided, of course, over the nature of the relationships between the antagonists in the Battle For Wychmire Swamp meta-event. It is not my intention to overturn the traditional interpretation of the meaning of this dynamic event.

Returning to the relationship between wurms and Elder Dragons: Although the evidence thus far is scant, nonetheless the possibility remains that wurms and Elder Dragons are related. The peculiar details of this relationship are yet to be revealed but I’m sure many players are as excited as I am about the upcoming content.

Most players are familiar with the origin of the word wurm: “Historical English-speaking cultures have used the (now deprecated) terms worm, Wurm, or wyrm to describe carnivorous reptiles (“serpents”), and the related mythical beasts dragons.” In GW2 we have a number of species of wurm such as Jungle Wurms, Plains Wurms, Ice/Snow Wurms, Undersea/Undersea Ice Wurms – even Draithor’s Wurms. Could they be related to the Elder Dragons?

There is a possibility that they are. Posters have long-suspected that at least one wurm is associated with an Elder Dragon: The Great Jungle Wurm of Wychmire Swamp in Caledon Forest. Their suspicions may be confirmed. Colin Johanson and Meelad Sadat have recently revealed the existence of a polycephalous Jungle Wurm dwelling in the Bloodtide Coast and as we know, Zaithan was a polycephalous Elder Dragon who, much like the recently-awakened Jungle Wurm “Bloodtide” was disturbed by what could be described as an enormous “thumper” – that is, the collapse of Orr. Furthermore, all of the Elder Dragons have arisen from somewhere under or close to the ground and have a loose affiliation with elements associated with rock, both its formation and erosion. Finally, Primordus is probably the best example of what could be a form of wurm, since he may not have wings and seems to content himself with subterranean activities (for now at least). These similarities suggest that wurms and Elder Dragons share a common ancestor.

But is there really any reason to associate the Great Jungle Wurm of Wychmire Swamp with an Elder Dragon?

From the outset, trying to argue that wurms are anything more than distant relations of the Elder Dragons is problematic. Within GW2, no wurms can be encountered that are openly labeled as corrupted – that is to say that there are no “Risen” “Branded” “Icebrood” or “Destroyer” Wurms, even though wurms such as Ice Wurms (dwelling in the Far Shiverpeaks) and Undersea Wurms (dwelling in the Sea of Sorrows) live in the midst of Elder Dragon territory and Zaithan seems capable of corrupting armies of grubs, which also inhabit the ground. This could just be due to resource constraints though. Still, if there is no evidence to suggest that resource-constraints are the reason for this absence, maintaining that argument does nothing to clarify the situation. (For an example of a successful argument in favor of resource-constraints, consider that although models of corrupted centaurs are not encountered in-game, concept art depicts them. The point is simply that such an argument must be backed by evidence.)
Alternatively, it could be that wurms are naturally resistant to a number of things, including magic, as wurms in GW1 often had “natural resistance”.

The only perplexing (current) example of a “corrupted” wurm in GW2 is a “Nightmare Vine”. Most likely this is what was once a Maguuman Jungle Wurm. If it can be corrupted, surely other wurms can too? Isn’t this evidence in favor of a resource-constraint argument? I think that this is unlikely, primarily due to the nature of Nightmare “corruption”. Nightmare forces presently include sylvari, sylvan hounds, husks, vines and spiders; not all of these creatures are converted in the same way. Granted, they are converted through fear, but whereas sylvari may turn to Nightmare because they fear something in the Dream, sylvan hounds are (probably) turned for fear of cruel sylvari; in like manner, spiders and vines are probably tamed (in a similar way to how Ogre’s tame their pets).

Because Maguuman Jungle Wurms are tamed into Nightmare Vines, they are not corrupted “magically” in the same way as every other Elder Dragon minion. Thus, at a fundamental level, Nightmare “corruption” differs from Elder Dragon corruption. (Players may remember the example of Honor’s Voice: She was corrupted by a servant of Jormag using magic rather than violence per se. The manner of her turning is a perfect example of true Elder Dragon corruption at work.)

Hi Team!
Thanks for creating this thread and allowing us to ask questions of you. My question:
Are Summoned Husks Elder Dragon minions?
I imagine the answer to this question might contain spoilers so I can understand if you don’t want to answer it. But thanks anyway!

Hi Konig,
Thanks for the heads up

Hi Team!
Thanks for creating this thread and allowing us to ask questions of you. My question:

Are Summoned Husks Elder Dragon minions?

I imagine the answer to this question might contain spoilers so I can understand if you don’t want to answer it. But thanks anyway!

Hi Bellyboomer,
Thanks for taking the time to respond. I concede that the theory linking Summoned Husks to an Elder Dragon is strong.

I do wonder, however, how much importance we should attribute the Wiki, which is player-maintained. Given that the “Nightmare Beast” (aka Shadow Of The Dragon) in the sylvari starter instance does not summon Summoned Husks, but instead Nightmare Hounds, it is debatable whether we can truly associate Summoned Husks with the SOTD in the starter instance.
Perhaps the passing semblance between the model of the SOTD and the model of Summoned Husks, that being the strange yellow glow from the belly of the beast, is the strongest reason we have to entertain the idea that the SOTD and the Summoned Husks are related. However, I feel that any attempt to link Summoned Husks to Elder Dragons can only be formed when we consider the evidence presented to us at the Crucible Of Eternity. Without that evidence, every other attempt at associating Summoned Husks with anything to do with Elder Dragons does not carry enough weight to be considered acceptable.

But that is just my opinion, of course, and it is by no means the only one

Whatever the case, what is undeniable is that Summoned Husks are frequently seen amongst Nightmare forces. Some have suggested that Summoned Husks are minions of an Elder Dragon. In my opinion, although there are reasons to entertain this idea, I think that there is no more reason to concede that Summoned Husks are Elder Dragon minions than that any other member of Nightmare forces – be they Nightmare Hound, Nightmare sylvari, Nightmare Vine, Nightmare Husk, Nightmare spider or otherwise – are Elder Dragon minions. Why? Most importantly, Nightmare sylvari often employ violence (amongst other tactics) to subdue other creatures, even other sylvari. If they have used the same tactics with Summoned Husks in order to bend them to Nightmare’s will, it seems unusual that they would successfully turn an Elder Dragon minion away from it’s master when similar tactics employed by Ogres to “tame” Branded has always resulted in failure (see the wiki on Ogres for more information). My point is simply this: If you wish to argue that Summoned Husks are Elder Dragon minions, you will inevitably also have to argue that Nightmare sylvari are Elder Dragon minions. Such an argument is unsustainable at this time. (In stating the above I am aware of the presence of Summoned Husks at the Crucible Of Eternity. As I have already stated, it is not my intention at this time to explore the reasons behind their appearance at the dungeon.)

To summarize, therefore, I contend that Summoned Husks have been summoned by the Nightmare. These husks are most likely either the remains of sylvari seed-pods or sylvari slain within the Wychmire Swamp region.

The Summoned Husks of the Wychmire Swamp region are amongst the rarest of observable creatures within GW2. This is not due to resource constraints on the part of development. In Sparkfly Fen, a series of dynamic events are dedicated to portraying the means by which the Inquest acquire Summoned Husks: Trade. That a well-resourced organization like the Inquest should have to resort to trade with none-other-than the Nightmare Court for a Summoned Husk demonstrates that said husks are a rare occurrence within Tyria. If this were not the case, the Inquest would simply go out and capture one.

Where do Summoned Husks come from? A prevailing theory associates them with the Jungle Elder Dragon. Perhaps they come from him? It is not my intention to explore this possibility. Instead, I would like to contemplate the possibility that they are somehow directly related to sylvari themselves.

The term husk is used in GW2 to describe at least one other plant-like being: The petrified remains of a druid. However, Summoned Husks are not petrified. Furthermore, the models of the two husks differ almost entirely, save for the fact that they both appear to be plant-like. Thus, if we are to look for answers as to the origins of Summoned Husks, we will not look in the direction of the husks of the druids in the Brisban Wildlands.

In reality the word husk is botanical jargon for the outer shell or coating of a seed. It is debatable whether this definition can be used to help identify the origins of Summoned Husks. Still, when we consider that the husk of something is nothing more than the outer shell or coating of a plant it does fit with the nature of the druids’ husks. It probably also fits with the nature of Summoned Husks too, particularly when we consider that they are described as “mindless” (in TA, when speaking to an NPC) – that is, Summoned Husks are what remains of a (possible) sentient being.

If Summoned Husks are what is left of a being, where is that being? It is possible that the being in question is a sylvari and that a Summoned Husk is the remains of it’s seed-pod. Alternatively, it could be that Summoned Husks are the remains of dead sylvari slain in Wychmire Swamp. (Whilst accompanying Gamarien in his patrol of the region you will witness a sylvari prisoner attempting to escape from Nightmare Courtiers. The Courtiers slay the fleeing prisoner, after which one asks the other what they should do with the body, to which the other replies that they should leave the body where it lies for the swamp to “do it’s work”.) In the case of the former proposition, why don’t we see Summoned Husks utilized by sylvari in general? This may be because the Summoned Husks are being infused with Nightmare magic. This does not really clarify why they are denoted as “Summoned”. However, it is possible that the Nightmare is summoning husks from the Dream in the same way that sylvari are summoned from the Dream. (In the sylvari personal story introductory cinematic the player-character relates that he/she is being “summoned by the Dream”; I am contending that the same process may be taking place with Summoned Husks, which are being summoned by the Nightmare). The geography of the swamp suggests that this may be correct. Sylvari summoned by the Dream begin to awaken at a waterfall in Ogham Wilds; waterfalls also dominate the Wychmire Swamp area, some of which are colored purple.

Sorry, a couple of corrections: Faolain’s lair is in TA:Story and the sylvari starter instance, if I remember correctly, is not called “Fighting The Dragon”.

The vine’s growth extends north and west. Within Caledon Forest, it appears to course through Ogham Wilds, a place sacred to sylvari because it is the location of a landmark straddling the barrier between the Dream and the real world. In the Kessex Hills, the vine also hugs Lychcroft Mere. The lake is fed by both the tide and a waterfall with near-identical particle effects as those observed at the Ogham Wilds during the sylvari starter instance “Fighting The Dragon”. To the west, in the Brisban Wildlands, the vine passes close-by the site of Destroyer activity in the east end of Skrittsburgh before entertaining the site of a seemingly-eternal struggle between ghosts of the White Mantle and the Shining Blade at Aurora’s Remains. Given the nature of these locations, it is possible that the vine feeds off ambient magic in general – not just “Dream magic”. However, I’m sure everyone would concur that “Dream magic” is by far the most abundant form of magical nourishment available to the vine at this time.

With this in mind, we could argue that the vine grows toward sources of magic in the same way that real-world plants grow toward light. But does this mean that the vine is actually responsible for the nightmare? There are indications that it is heavily involved in the spread of nightmare. For starters, many of the locations at which the purple (and sometimes yellow) rhizomes of the vine can be observed, nightmare courtiers are nearby. The most infamous example of a nightmare haunt is Twilight Arbor and, true to form, the vine does not disappoint us: Faolain’s lair (available in TA:EXP), in which she has nurtured her nightmare tree, is overrun with the rhizomes of the vine. Given Faolain’s role as the leader of the Nightmare Court operating from Twilight Arbor, this is probably significant. It suggests that the vine may have been instrumental in Faolain’s descent into nightmare.

But we are hard-pressed to explain how this might occur. One possibility is that Faolain’s abnormalities (observed from the moment of her awakening) are not accidental. Faolain is said to have awakened with black hair, eyes and nails. It is possible that she became blighted during her development as a direct result of the injuries sustained by the Pale Tree at the hands of the thorn vine. In the short story “What Scarlet Saw” the vine is said to have opened wounds on the tree; vines have long been considered one of the foremost spreaders of diseases amongst plants for this very reason. Furthermore, the vine itself passes through Wychmire Swamp (rhizomes of the vine can be observed traveling through the dead roots of rotting trees in the area), at which a dynamic event involving various forms of blighted growth can be observed, one form of which is a thorn vine, cleared immediately before the spawning of the Great Jungle Wurm. It is possible that the vine itself has become infected with blight and has passed this on to the the Pale Tree and her fruit, including Faolain.

If this theory is correct, Faolain is the first of a number of carriers of blight within the sylvari population. Skeptics will probably argue that not every member of the Nightmare Court exhibits the same symptoms as Faolain – that is, they don’t all have black hair, eyes and nails. However, the blight does not have to spread to every member for every member to be “lost” somehow to nightmare. However, it should be considered that any member with said symptoms is probably closer to nightmare than others.

We first learn of the link between the Great Jungle Wurm and the Nightmare Court upon entering Twilight Arbor. Therein, we encounter more of the wurm’s brethren, called “Nightmare Vines”. They began their lives as commonplace Maguuman Jungle Wurms, only to become corrupted by the phenomenon that sylvari term “Nightmare”. They join the ranks of a number of other plants affected by nightmare: Sylvari, sylvan hounds, husks and so on and so forth.

Prior to the rise of Scarlet Briar sylvari were considered to be the highest sentient plant-being affected by nightmare. However, new information has emerged from the Scarlet Briar saga, suggesting that there is a another (possibly sentient) plant affected by nightmare: The thorn vine.

Traveling throughout the Maguuma Jungle you may have inadvertently spotted it, snaking it’s way slyly over cliffs and canopies, shyly beneath the verdant soil. Entering Briarthorn Den, it can no longer conceal itself, a mass of lethal barbs and purple rhizomes commanding the attention of all who behold it. Even the Pale Tree cannot ignore the vine. A climber by nature, the vine courses its way from Briarthorn Den to the base of the great tree and from there, has proceeded to scale it. This is that vine which Ceara saw, after which she named herself: Scarlet Briar.

The vine’s role in nightmare is not fully understood: Is it merely affected by nightmare or affecting it? In an effort to answer this question, we will first turn our attention to the nature of climbers such as the vine. Most climbers are considered parasitic. Often using hooks such as thorns to affix themselves to a host, climbers use tall plants as support in their search for sunlight and other forms of nourishment. The intent of vines such as this is to survive at any cost, expending as little energy as possible in the process. But using real-world models to help understand the nature of creatures within a fantasy MMORPG is always tricky. Thus, the vine may not be using the Pale Tree as a support in it’s search for traditional forms of plant nourishment: Rainwater, sunlight and so on; instead, the vine may be feeding off of the “Dream magic” of the tree. When we consider the course of the vine, this possibility becomes more plausible.

The Direction Of The River
The river down which Malyck traveled appears to run toward the Grove and includes at least one large waterfall, so there is the possibility that Malyck received his injuries navigating hazards such as that, rapids and rocks. Still, the PC does ask Caithe, “Can you tell how this pod got so far from the Pale Tree?” I’m not sure about how much stock we can put in this question. Caithe considers it the wrong one to ask; she is far more experienced (than the PC) as a tracker, so her assessment is probably more accurate, although even that may not be entirely true: Malyck may not have come from another Tree as much as another seed.

The Cave
Malyck makes mention of a cave near the place at which he awoke. This may be the infamous cave into which Ronan ventured when he pocketed the Pale Tree’s seed. The only cave system within Venlin Vale that Malyck could be referring to is the Skrittsburgh Tunnels. The question then becomes, “How long have the Skritt occupied this cave system?” It is unlikely that they have always dwelt as closely to the surface as they do now. If you proceed into the depths of the system you encounter destroyers, suggesting that the Skritt of the tunnels have been forced upward into the topmost portion of the caves. Hence, it is likely that the current state of the caves is a recent development. For now, the cave system remains a very likely candidate for that from which Ronan retrieved the seed of the Pale Tree.
If this is the case, one explanation could be that the pod in which Malyck grew may have been “harvested” by Skritt in search of “shinies”, stolen by the Inquest and accidentally dropped en route to the nearby Inquest “Invariant Base”. The pods of the Pale Tree are a luminescent blue and I’m sure that, given half the chance, Skritt would start harvesting them too. Likewise, the pods of the Nightmare Tower are a luminescent yellow/green. In other words, the pods probably qualify to the Skritt as “shinies”. Having lost the pod to an overly aggressive Skritt resistance, the Inquest may have sent word to their Nightmare Court allies.

A Different Dream
In this instance Amaranda states that Malyck is “the seed”. This may mean that the seeds that Ronan found were meant to grow only one sylvari each, but that in the case of the Pale Tree, some magic enhanced the seed’s growth, leading to the development of a plant capable of reproducing more sylvari.

For now though, we have no solid answers.

If you rolled a sylvari, you’ve met him, once; if you searched for him subsequently, you’d be hard-pressed to find him: Mender Serimon. Who is this mysterious sylvari?

We have only ever encountered him twice: Once in the sylvari starter instance, “Fighting The Nightmare” and again in the short story, “What Scarlet Saw” He is not a luminary, although he may be a firstborn. He has a two-worded name, like Scarlet Briar, but unlike most of his kin. This name may hint at his role, however. For starters, “Mender” may not be as much a name as a job title. Thus, Mender Serimon’s name may in fact be simply, “Serimon”. If this is the case, Serimon is a “Mender” – synonyms for this title include physician, therapist, curer, shaman, doctor, or medicine man.

This makes sense, especially given that he is first encountered by the player-character (PC) following the latter’s fight against the Nightmare. Serimon tells the PC that “others [were] hurt in the Dream”, implying that not only the PC but others also were adversely affected by their pre-awakening experience. How the PC has been affected is never explored, although there are indications that he/she has had (at least) a troubled sleep. Serimon reports that the PC was calling out in his/her Dream.

In the short story “What Scarlet Saw” Mender Serimon is also present and, as in the case of the PC, reassures Scarlet. (The PC asks Serimon, “Are we safe?” and the latter’s response is designed to convey that they are. Scarlet does not ask Serimon, but he nonetheless reassures Scarlet, stating, “You are safe here“.) This suggests that Scarlet, or rather Ceara as she was then known, may also have been “injured” in her Dream.

At first glance, this might not mean much to you and I must confess that I might be chasing wild geese, but there is someone else who relates that they also were injured when they awoke: Malyck. He states that he “was injured, and…wandered the forest…following the river until the Wardens found [him] and took [him] in”. Malyck did not have a “Mender Serimon” to help him awaken into Tyria. This may be very significant, since Serimon does call on the PC to help the others who were injured fighting the Nightmare. Malyck may be just one sylvari who was injured during that struggle. He states that he was awake for no more than two weeks. Its just possible that he was “displaced” during the struggle. It remains to be determined how much time transpired between the waking of the PC and the “finding” of Malyck. It would be revealing to learn that they both awoke at the same time.