Guild Wars 2

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Lion’s Arch is 100% independent from the throne. In Edge of Destiny (1019 AE by timeline standards), Queen Jennah was negotiating with the Captain’s Council about an alliance in fighting the centaurs and risen – the Seraph would aid in fighting Risen, the Lionguard would aid in fighting centaurs. If they fell under the throne, then no such negotiation for the Lionguard’s aid would be needed – just an order. And to boot, despite the fact that this negotiation concluded with agreement of aid (iirc that is), in GW2 we can see that the Lionguard are standing neutral in the war between Kryta and the centaurs, in order to protect traders from centaur raids (for what little good it does them).

Lion’s Arch after its destruction and re-establishment by pirates has become its own city-state, fully independent of all others government-wise. And the Lionguard, for some unexplained reason, kept ties to the city rather than the kingdom of Kryta (most likely, as said, due to the Lionguard’s duties being undermined first by the White Mantle in 1070-1072 AE, then by the Seraph in 1079 AE – they ended up becoming just a city police roughly 150 years before Lion’s Arch’s flood, so when Kryta abandoned the city, the Lionguard didn’t – that’s my guess).

I’m guessing you meant 1319 AE not 1019 AE?

TheXand.7041:

WarriorOfAsgard.3705:

I wouldn’t say they’re traitors. Their power was usurped by the White Mantle in 1070 and since the end of the Krytan civil war in 1079, they’ve been replaced by the Seraph. The Lionguard still maintained the protection of Lion’s Arch and probably helped rebuild it after the rise of Zhaitan. That would explain why it is now a multi-racial organization. With Lion’s Arch acting as a city-state, the Lionguard is no longer directly connected to Kryta.

Well it all depends if it even is the same Lionguard. Current lore says that Lion’s Arch was completely levelled and rebuilt by pirates, which would suggest that the current Lionguard are just loosely based copies and all of the old school Lionguard died, which would also explain the racial diversity and change in allegiance. It’s hard to imagine the original Lionguard turning their backs and betraying Kryta and the royal family, especially after they and the Shining Blades restored the current government and monarchy of Kryta.

As I said before, the original Lionguard were acting primarily as a police force in Lion’s Arch at the time and had largely been replaced by the Seraph as the main military group of Kryta. The Shining Blade became the protectors of the Royal Family, and the Lionguard really only had power in Lion’s Arch. At the most, I could see them declaring full independence from Kryta once Lion’s Arch was formally unified by Cobiah Marriner and up until then acting as the unofficial protectors of the people who survived the flood. Just because the city was destroyed doesn’t mean the people who once lived there were entirely wiped out. They may even have been ordered to stay behind and help Lion’s Arch by a member of the Royal Family.

TheXand.7041:

I think as others have said that the Lionguard do indeed primarily serve Lion’s Arch given their racial diversity and their leader is one of the captain’s council of Lion’s arch, but a lot of my confusion stems from the fact that there’s not very much on their history at all. We’re left to guess what happened to the original Lionguard. I think the case is that these aren’t true Lionguard at all since they’ve turned traitor and defected from Kryta. The current version are merely spiritual successors only very loosely based on the original Lionguard, and that the originals were destroyed along with the old Lion’s Arch.

There does seem to be some contention between the current Lionguard and the Krytans from what I’ve seen however, there’s a human soldier in one of the Lionguard havens that talks about his niece asking if he would protect her from the centaurs, and he said he couldn’t because he wasn’t a Seraph, and then his sister told her daughter that he wasn’t a real soldier. Or something to that effect, I’m paraphrasing here. Which is understandable given that they would be officially rebels and traitors if they did have any actual ties to the original Lionguard beyond the name.

I wouldn’t say they’re traitors. Their power was usurped by the White Mantle in 1070 and since the end of the Krytan civil war in 1079, they’ve been replaced by the Seraph. The Lionguard still maintained the protection of Lion’s Arch and probably helped rebuild it after the rise of Zhaitan. That would explain why it is now a multi-racial organization. With Lion’s Arch acting as a city-state, the Lionguard is no longer directly connected to Kryta.

They are allowed to co-exist with the others so long as they do not prove themselves as a threat, meaning as long as they do not become violent they are granted a place to stay in Hoelbrak. The Wolfborn in Hoelbrak keep a watchful eye on them at the entrances to the Veins of the Dragon to ensure the safety of the people. If the intent to kill arises, they will take action. The first offense is exile, and following offenses are a beating after being kicked out again and only Knut Whitebear can revoke the exile. A threat to kill from the Sons of Svanir is most likely viewed as a warning to outsiders while the act of becoming violent is what will cause the Wolfborn to step in.

Konig’s point of saying someone is evil simply because their beliefs are different still applies in the Guild Wars universe just as it does in real life. The norn tolerate differences, and only those known to be “extremists” are unwelcome in their society.

There’s a way to get all the way to the bottom of Rata Sum then use a Revive Orb to get yourself up again (the last fall will kill you before you hit the ground)

Windu The Forbidden One.6045:

They judge an individual by that individual’s own action.

But their ‘actions’ are just as hostile. Not the ones in Hoelbrak, but the SoS in general, and the norn tolerate them as such (not just the individuals in Hoelbrak).

That’s the point, they do not judge a group as a whole. Yes, that group may overall be hostile, but they aren’t judging the group, they’re judging the individuals in the group, some of whom aren’t necessarily hostile. The key here is to think less like a human and more like a norn.

They are occupying trading posts and havens along their trade routes. Some members still hold ties to their respective governments and races, however they receive orders and only directly serve Lion’s Arch and the Captain’s Council. The humans within the Lionguard want to destroy the centaurs but Lion’s Arch has some sort of ceasefire/treaty with the centaurs that prevents them from openly supporting the Krytans in the fight, though the centaurs seem to disregard said agreement.

Because Lion’s Arch contains members of most intelligent non-hostile races it makes sense that they want to avoid taking sides in any regional conflicts that might be occurring when and where possible. They will however aid in any fight against the Elder Dragons and their servants.

Narcemus.1348:

Konig Des Todes.2086:

I cannot really see a third race as a possibility – kodan come closest, but their lack of customization bothers me though they can still be added into a Far Shiverpeaks expansion, with a large Sanctuary somewhere in that in-land sea that Jormag made as a home city. Naga are also close, if there’s ever a Canthan expansion, but their lack of legs is harmful to their chances and if there’s a Canthan expansion I suspect tengu to be more likely, despite their lack of modern influence with Cantha.

If you were to go off of NPC models for humans you would think the only option was white/Caucasian Ascalonian models. I think there is obviously room for expansion in the types of customizable characters.

They are a race of polar bear-like beings so that rules out variations in fur color and patterns which limits character customization.

Kenneth Dale.5130:

1.) Draken ~ a reptilian aquatic race resembling drakes or alligators. Gw2 could use an aquatic race. The largos are cool too though, but an alligator race would be awesome.

I’ve had similar ideas but I’d expect them more in Elona (perhaps ELonian behemoths are a primitive offshoot?) or in another part of the world we haven’t seen. They’d probably be viewed by other races with distrust initially given the current stance on krait. They’d also have to live up to other reptilian racial standards (Forgotten/Naga).

Another idea I had for a desert dwelling culture (possibly in the far east portions of the Crystal Desert) might be something with inspirations from Egyptian culture would be a race that vaguely resembles a jackal type creature. I got the idea from watching the second movie from The Mummy series.

Killul.9685:

I would love Grawl, Tengu and Dredge to become playable.

The only race I could currently see as being playable in the near future in the tengu. They were a widespread race, there are many varieties, and there is the possiblity for appearances we’ve never seen in game (thinking tengu from Elona and other parts of the world), they have a sizable city and possible starting area, are seem to be waiting to make their move in the world.
They also seem to have knowledge of a previous dragon rise, which could make them valuable allies should the extent of that knowledge be revealed in the future.

You’re missing out Kodan and Largo

Grawl will never be playable due to being a lesser race that others can choose as a racial sympathy. They would also have a difficult time regardless of this because they’re one of the races that has made little, if any, advancement in culture or technology over the past 250 years.
The problem with dredge is they’re extremely xenophobic and kill anything that isn’t one their own. Yes, they have internal problems of their own but they have too many disadvantages that would prevent them from being a playable race without a major overhaul.
The kodan all look the same so there would be a definite lack of customization. There’s also no way to distinguish genders without speaking to them which has its own problems.
Largos may have potential but the lack of information on them cannot be ignored. I would need to know more before making a judgment as to whether or not they could be playable.
With the exception of tengu, none of these races have a starting area or major city. The only one that could go either way is the largos, again this as a result of the lack of information on them.

The only race I could currently see as being playable in the near future in the tengu. They were a widespread race, there are many varieties, and there is the possiblity for appearances we’ve never seen in game (thinking tengu from Elona and other parts of the world), they have a sizable city and possible starting area, are seem to be waiting to make their move in the world.
They also seem to have knowledge of a previous dragon rise, which could make them valuable allies should the extent of that knowledge be revealed in the future.

Blimm seems to have renounced his belief in the Eternal Alchemy at some point in his life and was later buried according to human traditions rather than cremated as most asura are.

We may or may not be able to visit it. As I recall from Ghosts of Ascalon, one would require some sort of royal permit given by the queen to enter the crypts. It may become accessible in the future but I do not foresee that happening any time soon.

As for the Great Collapse, I think the Shining Blade might have some information that isn’t currently available to the general public. They seemed to know the collapse was going to occur and evacuated most of the district in time while citizens didn’t know and to them the collapse was rather sudden. I wouldn’t be surprised if the bandits/White Mantle were behind it, possibly as a way to sway public opinion of Queen Jennah away from her and into Minister Caudecus’ favor. It’s known that he has connections to Separatists and bandits in Kryta and possibly with the White Mantle by extension, and it is known that he wants Jennah’s power as ruler of Kryta.

Windu The Forbidden One.6045:

The first one: The Asura have an inquest council member and even an entire Inquest district/section in Rata Sum. Why? They are the enemy, they are practically at war.
I mean, throughout the asura personal story and events the Inquest constantly attacks Asura labs and facilities. The Asura story even starts with the Inquest launching a full scale assault on Metrica Province (Although not in person, but with hacked golems).

Not only that, but their ideology and ethics, or rather their lack of, is frowned upon by Asura culture. Having the Inquest in Rata Sum and even their goverment seems so out of place and lore incorrect.

Yes they are frowned upon but they’re considered a krewe like any other in Rata Sum. They generally stay out of trouble and keep to themselves in the city. They tend to operate in the gray areas where the colleges aren’t willing to go. The real problem is that this lack of ethics causes Inquest members to believe they’re above other asura and they should be the ones to make the major decisions. The research they conduct is valuable in the fight against the dragons, but is often misused due to the very nature of those in charge. Knowledge can be both helpful as well as harmful, depending on how it is used.

Windu The Forbidden One.6045:

The Second one: The Norn allow the Sons of Svanir to stay in Hoelbrak. When I found out that the Sons of Svanir were allowed to stay there I was baffled. They are the enemy, they openly collaborate with Jormag… JORMAG! One of their greatest enemies. Not only that, they attack every norn on site, raid their homesteads, destroy shrines of the spirits of the wild and are effectively the greatest traitors in the history of norn culture.

From the Wiki:
According to norn culture, the Sons of Svanir are not evil, nor are they viewed as such. Though they are credited with corrupting nature by other norn, they are allowed to co-exist with the others so long as they do not prove themselves as a threat. Unlike most norn, the Sons of Svanir do not remain independent for their strength, but rather barter for it.

The Sons of Svanir are tolerated in Hoelbrak. Those who stir up trouble on a regular basis are dealt with by the Wolfborn. Outside Hoelbrak they’re free to do as they please but within they’re subject to the same rules as everyone else in norn society. Basically as long as they remain relatively civilized while in Hoelbrak they’re allowed to be there. This doesn’t mean other norn trust them though. In fact, I would go so far as to say some norn actually want them gone, but they can’t do anything themselves without also incurring the wrath of Knut Whtebear and the Wolfborn.

exelion.2369:

I think that turning to stone makes them functionally immortal to where things such as age and disease have no effect. I’d also image that loosing limbs probably doesn’t have the same effects as a flesh and blood being.

I have to agree with this. Most likely the only way to really kill a stone dwarf would be to reduce them to dust or find some other way of destroying them.

-writing a fan fiction series for my old characters-

Could be Dry Top from GW1

Lord Victo, Champion of Orr

I re-read the passage that describes Almorra’s tale about the Branding (Ghosts of Ascalon, p. 98-99) and cross referenced it with the location of the SP “Birthplace of the Vigil” and it seems that specific location is firmly within the Dragonbrand, not near the edge. She was within a foot of her second-in-command at the time. The location of the SP is not near the edge of the Dragonbrand.

It’s an arena where the game Polymock (http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Polymock) is played. Currently not in use though.

Why not? It’s underground. Perhaps the submarine was an alternate means to enter and exit the facility in the event of an emergency.

Orrian territory is known to have extended into the Tarnished Coast during
he time of the Second Great Corsair War and King Zoran’s reign so if the ruins were human-built, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were of Orrian origins.

I believe there is an npc standing outside the dungeon entrance who states that the Crucible of Eternity is located directly under the Infinite Coil Reactor, though I could be wrong. It is underground though, that much is certain.

While we’re on the topic of corrupted women, any theories on why Almorra Soulkeeper survived the Branding when the rest of her warband were not so fortunate?

That said, there’s little evidence to suggest that Brand have left the Dragonbrand and continued heading south. Kralkatorrik seems to have stopped in the northern part of the Crystal Desert. Unless Joko decided to expand north (which is possible) I don’t think he’d have too much interest in the EDs currently.

Liewec.2896:

bet your bottom dollar that we’ll be seeing Palawa Joko again >;-3
i hope he swims the oceans to reach Orr to kick zhaitan’s butt!
“there can be only one lord of the dead! THE KING HAS RETURNED!” >:-3

also the Mursaat “Lazarus the Dire” is likely hiding and hatching an evil plot to get revenge on the stickin’ humans, and their dumb dog too!

If anything I expect Joko to be dealing with the remnants of Zhaitan’s minions and possibly the occasional run-in with Kralkatorrik’s as well, though he’s a bit further north. He’ll also be dealing with any new issues that may have arisen in Elona (or resistance of the humans and other races).

I would expect any mursaat related updates to focus primarily on the White Mantle and/or its alliance with the Nightmare Court and the Inquest, possibly something to do with Fort Vandal.

Personally I’m expecting either taking the Elder Dragon fight to Jormag or something dealing with the Inquest/White Mantle/Inquest alliance.

exelion.2369:

WarriorOfAsgard.3705:

Well the humans were the only playable race in Guild Wars 1 so much of the lore in the game surrounds them or is written from a human perspective. They also ruled 3 continents. In Guild Wars 2, Zhaitan just happens to be located in the ruins of Arah, formerly the capital of Orr and the city of the gods. They were the favored race of the gods. While most of the existing lore is centered on them, newer lore has gradually shifted the focus from humans to the other four major races.

The significance of humans in Guild Wars 2 is that Kryta is the last free human kingdom. Elona has been conquered by Palawa Joko and Cantha has become an isolationist empire. The Elder Dragons have cut off access to those continents as well. Orr was destroyed in the Cataclysm and, with the exception of the Stronghold of Ebonhawke, the kingdom of Ascalon has fallen to the charr.

Does that answer your question?

The Cataclysm happened right after the Searing which occurs long before the start of GW2 and at the beginning of Prophecies of GW1.

That’s true, and I could have worded that part a bit better. The Cataclysm and sinking of Orr still holds some relevance to Guild Wars 2 though because it explains why when Zhaitan awakened, Orr rose from beneath the waves, resulting in the destruction of old Lion’s Arch and nearby coastal areas.

After the desert was formed there were also a number of human groups who traveled there in an attempt to establish their own civilizations with the goal of Ascension, a legendary feat that gives characters the blessings of the gods of Tyria, and the gift of True Sight. Few were actually successful and most attempts at settling in the Crystal Desert were short lived for a number of reasons.

You’re welcome. If you’ve got anything else you’d like to know about the lore, don’t hesitate to ask.

Well the humans were the only playable race in Guild Wars 1 so much of the lore in the game surrounds them or is written from a human perspective. They also ruled 3 continents. In Guild Wars 2, Zhaitan just happens to be located in the ruins of Arah, formerly the capital of Orr and the city of the gods. They were the favored race of the gods. While most of the existing lore is centered on them, newer lore has gradually shifted the focus from humans to the other four major races.

The significance of humans in Guild Wars 2 is that Kryta is the last free human kingdom. Elona has been conquered by Palawa Joko and Cantha has become an isolationist empire. The Elder Dragons have cut off access to those continents as well. Orr was destroyed in the Cataclysm and, with the exception of the Stronghold of Ebonhawke, the kingdom of Ascalon has fallen to the charr.

Does that answer your question?

Genocide is “the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group”. I would say the Chosen fall under one or more of these categories. The mursaat used the White Mantle to kill thousands of Chosen on the bloodstones to power their soul batteries.

marnick.4305:

Mursaat disappeared because of the Titans. Don’t look too much into it. The players started a genocide in prophecies and finished it in EotN. Even if some are left, they are only a minor threat until at least they get superior magic/tech/numbers again.

I’m pretty sure they will appear some place or another, they are the quintessential Guild Wars enemy and one of the cornerstones of the lore.

Technically they started the genocide by sacrificing the Chosen. The titans were simply a means to an end used by Glint and the seers to bring justice to the mursaat for abandoning their allies during the last dragon rise. They might have been a race of decent people at one time but that went out the window the day they left the other four elder races to fend for themselves.

The most powerful profession: Lore & Continuity Designer (ex. Ree Soesbee). They write the world into being. They shape the very fabric of the Mists! (I personally suspect they use whatever magic was contained within the Staff of the Mists….I’m thinking they either sent Jeff Grubb or John Stumme to retrieve it after it was tossed into the sulfur at Hallowed Point).

Narcemus.1348:

Zaxares.5419:

I’m still wondering who’s the lucky kitten that managed to bed Dwayna! XD

If I remember right Grenth was born when a mortal sculptor (never specified to be Malchor) touched the face of Dwayna, from that moment of love she concieved Grenth (thought or actual birth is unknown). I don’t have the exact source for this though, I believe I just heard Konig say it.

I don’t recall it ever being stated that Malchor was Grenth’s father. It is suspected but currently unconfirmed, simply that his father was a mortal sculptor. I also have never heard of this version of Grenth’s conception either.

Avatar Rage.4369:

Well from what I know of Wintersday, Grenth prefers the cold wintery month, while Dwayna wants the cold months to end and new life to return to the world.

Not to mention Death Gods and Life Gods always seem to argue over who is more important.

I like to think of them as being equally important, potentially balancing forces. Life ends with death, and death can give rise to new life. From what I can tell, as the gods cannot actually control the seasons, the “Dwayna vs Grenth” concept is more for show than anything, to remind Tyrians (specifically humans) of the importance of two equal but opposing forces. Life lessons really.

As a side note, I think Melandru sided with Dwayna due to being a godess of nature, and by some extension, life as well, though perhaps a different aspect that that of Dwayna. Balthazar sided with Grenth because he is the god of war and challenge. He seems to love a good fight and has his own reasons for joining the fight. I cannot say with certainty which side Kormir and Lyssa would have chosen, though I suspect Kormir’s ideals are more in line with Balthazar and Grenth while Lyssa is more likely along the lines of Dwayna’s views.

And how greatly might this have effected the dwarves and the forgotten? Of the five races, the dwarves’ civilization seems to have been the most successful at re-establishing itself after the previous dragon rise. The forgotten may have lasted for a while themselves but they do seem to have come into direct conflict with humans and younger races, especially in Tyria, and eventually retreated to the Crystal Desert.

Narcemus.1348:

I guess I have a question for you then, do we learn at all how the Bloodstone was created in the dungeon instance or not?

I ask this because it seems to me that you are right in the sense that the Bloodstone could not have been active during the war, but I also could be correct. You see when a group of people are about to be annihilated they become desperate. So my theory is that they had the plans and the “ingredients” (spells, materials, etc…) in order to create a Bloodstone, should the situation be deemed necessary. Now the mursaat and Seers went to war and the Seers lost a large portion of their population before they discovered the infusion. If I remember right in the Iron Mines of Moladune mission the seer states that they discovered infusion but it was already too late, which leads me to believe by that point in time the Mursaat outnumbered them. So on an even playing field magically they would have lost. So at that point in time they decided to do what any race would, create a stalemate. The seers knew that they could never win, but without their magic the mursaat could easily be wiped by any of the other races, if the seers could gain allies somehow. And the mursaat, being the courageous individuals that they are, learned about this and instead of barging in and stopping it’s creation they opted to flee.

Now again we get to why the war in the first place? Simple, when you have an enemy that has the ability to take away your power at the flip of the switch, you try and pre-emptively remove that threat to your civilization before it can be created. But as I have said before, this is just a theory, and most likely will be proved different somehow by the loremasters at ArenaNet. And honestly I look forwards to the day that we learn exactly what happened, and how things were resolved.

I wonder how the jotun reacted to the idea of giving up their magic, which seems to be the foundation of their own society, or if they had already descended into civil war before the bloodstone had been created. Any theories on that possibility?

Konig Des Todes.2086:

I don’t think the forgotten left and returned – I previously did, but that was when I was under the belief that the last Elder Dragon rise was in ~10,000 BE; recently, however, I have been believing the last ED rise was in ~2,000 BE. Sieran says during one of the DP storyline missions that the dwarven civilization is “over 2,000 years old” which is rather odd if they were around in 10,000 BE. This would coincide with the forgotten arriving on Tyria (never mentioned to be world or continent) in 1,768 BE per the timeline. And the timeline(s) never say the Giganticus Lupicus, which the Durmand Priory believe went extinct during the last Elder Dragon rise, went extinct in 10,000 BE (but rather that they disappeared from/last walked upon continental Tyria).

Given that the information from the timeline is mostly based on human knowledge I can see your point on the forgotten never leaving. That was something I hadn’t considered.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

I’m also led to believe that the kodan, tengu, and krait survived this last rise, unknown to the jotun (as the whole “five races against six Elder Dragons” come solely from jotun records)

I had this theory as well, based on how the krait priesthood makes subtle changes to the wording/interpretation of their legends, it wouldn’t be too much to think that the krait have some knowledge of a previous rise but it has been altered to the point that it is no longer recognizable. Living in the deep ocean trenches, the krait would not have had much, if any, contact with the jotun. They most likely had some interaction with the DSD though, so I suspect this kind of knowledge to be contained within their religious texts, far from the eyes of outsiders. Their prophets may have been minions of the DSD or revered its power similar to the way the Sons of Svanir revere Jormag.

The kodan’s “Great Storm” could have been the result of a previous dragon rise, and they could have been spread in the lands north of what we currently know of Tyria, separated by the vast seas. When Jormag woke this time, some of the Sanctuaries were scattered and driven south. It is possible that the jotun never traveled into old kodan lands and thus never knew of them. The kodan could also have been a young race at the time and largely ignored by the jotun. They could have also battled the Elder Dragons, most likely Jormag or some of his minions, preventing them from making contact with the races in Tyria.

Tengu are the most well known of the races suspected to have knowledge of the previous dragon rise. If we are to believe that the tengu are spread throughout the world, then I would suspect them to have been cut off from Tyria during the last cycle. This idea assumes that the EDs are either exclusive to the Tyrian continent or the tengu simply hadn’t reached this part of the world at the time. If the EDs are spread beyond just being in Tyria, they could have been fighting elsewhere and the remnants of their empire were scattered and broken after the last rise.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

I do not attribute the Bloodstone to why the mursaat disappeared. If they were already gone from Tyria – and we’re told that they fled the world, not just went unseen or “out of phase” (their magic allows them to go out of phase, but they also fled the world) – then their magic would have been unaffected by it, as it only affects magic in Tyria (and if it affects magic in the Mists, damn that’s overpowered kitten right there).

Yes, that would be a bit much. Thus my theory that the bloodstone only affecting the races in the world of Tyria. If the mursaat left prior to its creation they would have retained any magic they possessed at the time.

Not sure if that’s right or not but imo it makes more sense that the bloodstone was created after the mursaat left but before the remaining races were hidden away by Glint, thus they retained their own uncorrupted magic while the other races lost theirs. The creation of the bloodstone caused the jotun civilization to collapse. The seers were few in number due to heavy losses to both the Elder Dragons and the war with the mursaat and never fully recovered. The forgotten and the dwarves, less reliant on magic than the jotun, were eventually able to re-establish themselves for a time, though the forgotten were later pushed out of their former territories by new races such as the humans and possibly the charr. The dwarves were the most successful of the surviving races and were able to make peace with the humans in Tyria. The mursaat most likely returned to Tyria at most a few centuries before being discovered by Saul D’Alessio. The forgotten may have left Tyria after the Elder Dragons went back to sleep and returned just over a thousand years before the arrival of humans and their gods.

There’s a few small RP guilds on Sanctum of Rall as well.

1. Currently, yes. A third (Sea of Sorrows) is in the works though but not yet published. Chronologically: Sea of Sorrows —> Edge of Destiny —> Ghosts of Ascalon
Order of Release: Ghosts of Ascalon —> Edge of Destiny —> Sea of Sorrows

2. She played a role in getting it started by returning the Claw of the Khan-Ur, however the story of how it was recovered is told in Ghosts of Ascalon.

Nope. Using corpses as minions seems to be Zhaitan’s method of corruption. Kralkatorrik’s minions are either living creatures who have been corrupted or created from the land itself, although he seems to prefer the former. Primordus’ minions appear to be the latter, only being made of magma and stone rather than creatures who are corrupted.

Except Snaff is dead so he cannot be branded.

I see no need for a retcon. He’s from another Pale Tree somewhere to the west. After you do that part of the PS he goes off to find this tree for himself. Probably a plot thread left open for a future expansion.

@Konig – Do you think that might indicate Mordremoth could be responsible for the forming of the Maguuma Wastes?

Hunter.6950:

It’s going to be called “Sea of Sorrows”, my guess it is going to be the cleaning of Orr and the rest of the Sea of Sorrows. This means they might want to wait awhile and let a majority of the players beat the story-line first before they release it.

Wrong. “The plot will focus on Zhaitan’s awakening and the effects it has on Tyria, including the flooding of Lion’s Arch. It will begin with the sinking of Lion’s Arch while the main character is on a ship heading to Arah, and follows the main character as he meets other races and helps rebuild Lion’s Arch for all races.”
My guess is it might feature someone very important to the rebuilding of Lion’s Arch, possibly Cobiah Marriner himself or someone close to him.

Example of pale Canthans: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Kurzick

Going with what I’m going to refer to as the “Somewhere in Cantha” theory, the cultists seem to be a generic group who managed to capture the colossus, possibly to harness its power. Perhaps they think it might be dangerous and wish to find a means to kill it. Going with the distant unknown land theory, perhaps they think it might be dangerous and wish to find a means to kill it.
iirc, there’s a lot of bamboo type foliage in the area which would most likely point to either somewhere deep in the Maguuma Jungle (to the west?) or somewhere in Cantha (pre-Jade Wind north or west mainland or one of the large islands)

I’m with Konig on this one. All the times I’ve done this fractal I’ve never seen anything that points to the mursaat or the White Mantle. To me it’s more of a giant colossus held captive by generic human cultists. POSSIBLY in the Maguuma Jungle or somewhere in Cantha. It could just as easily have been an event in the distant past or future that we do not have any knowledge of and could be something that took place on a continent that we do not know about.

Well you could try to fight the centaurs or bring justice to the bandits of Kryta. You could even take on the dragons and their minions. Your story is your own.
Personally, my warrior is from Ebonhawke, and his family has lived there and fought among the Ebon Vanguard since they first arrived there. He’s built a reputation as a skilled sniper from manning the walls during the sieges.
My necromancer lives in Kryta but is descended from Ascalonian nobles. As a member of the Durmand Priory he has become as expert on the various cultures of Tyria and is currently conducting research on the dragons by studying Orr with the help of my asura.

Based on the architecture, I’m inclined to believe the one in Wizard’s Folly was of dwarven construction given the style and proximity to dwarven territory. I believe the Eye of the North is most likely either seer/jotun made. More likely jotun, as the scrying pool could tie in with their magic and astronomy. The tower in Kessex is more of a mystery but it may have originated near the Tarnished Coast and been moved at some point in the past. We don’t have any info on how long the tower was near Sanctum Cay prior to Galrath and Verata attempting to access it.

Narcemus.1348:

Nothing says it. Though it makes sense that he would look for new acquisitions in the area of a current power vacuum. Not to mention it may be possible for him to steal their allegiance after Zhaitan’s death. We do not know what kind of control his minions really have, and/or how long it will last.

I would guess the death of the master would have one of two possible outcomes.
1. The existing minions (in this case Risen) would die. – I find this theory rather anti-climactic.
2. The existing minions would continue to operate at a basic level and the potential threat would diminish as they are killed off. – I find this to be more likely. Once the minions are gone, I would expect the Pact to retain control of the region as a staging ground against Kralkatorrik and they would also continue working to revert the corruption as was done at Artesian Waters. The waters flowed out from there throughout the rest of Orr but I expect some pockets of corruption to remain in isolated areas.

Nay of the Ether.8913:

I don’t ever recall reading anything anywhere saying Grenth was fathered by a mortal sculptor, but if he was I’d have to put money on Malchor (since…well he was the only human to sculpt the gods via a firsthand account, he was in love with dwayna, ect ect). Very possible he had a little whoop-de-whoop with dwayna before he took the Big Plunge off crazy cliff.

Priestess Rhie mentions it if you talk to her during the Speaker of the Dead quest.