I *am* relaxed. I am just commenting on proposed changes coming in GW2 that don't sound that great to me.
What the final result for GW2 is anyone's guess, but conjecture and discussion based on what they have said about the direction they are headed is fair game for discussion.
I *am* relaxed. I am just commenting on proposed changes coming in GW2 that don't sound that great to me. What the final result for GW2 is anyone's guess, but conjecture and discussion based on what they have said about the direction they are headed is fair game for discussion.
So your commenting and making decisions based on scattered and unconfirmed details?
The only confirmed things so far are whats on the Wiki (still subject to change of course) and all the story and lore that was recently released from PC Gamer...
Here you go to tease you:
PC Gamer Guild Wars 2 Article wrote:
9/24/07 - Ultimate Guild Wars Guide on sale now!
The Movement of the World
A Guild Wars 2 History Lesson, by Ree Soesbee
"By the Mouvelian calendar, the year when the Goddess Kormir ascended was the year 1075. From that date, we will begin our history lesson, and within that classification of dates we will show you the future—that has become our past. For two hundred and fifty years, the heroes of Tyria have struggled as the world shifted around them. Massive upheavals, cataclysms, and other global-spanning events have changed the world. The humans are in decline. Other races are rising, taking control of large portions of the world and shifting the balance of power. The world has changed."
—Decimus the Historian, Durmand Priory
The world of Tyria has known conflict, chaos, and generations of war. Rarely has there been a time of peace in these troubled lands. The years since the Ascension of Kormir and the defeat of the Great Destroyer have been no different. There have been dangers. There have been adventures. The world is no longer the Tyria it once was—and yet, so many things are the same, beneath her troubled exterior.
Sleeping monsters, aeons old, have awakened. They crawled from beneath the earth, razor claws sinking into stone and ground over a world that has not seen their like in millennia—and where they rose, they dominated the world around them, twisting it to serve their purposes. The first of these, Primordus, gathered minions to replace the Destroyers that once served its cause and began to overrun the caverns beneath the earth, gradually pressing the Asura to the surface. Gunnar's Hold fell to monsters of ice, and the Norn were driven southward into the empty territory that had once been held by the Dwarves. The Charr have a tentative friendship with the Norn, respecting their sense of power and personal strength.
To the south, the peninsula of Orr has risen from the ocean, flooding the coasts with tidal waves. Sanctum Cay, D'Alessio Seaboard, and the Battle Isles sank beneath the waves, and even Lion's Arch was so completely flooded by the cataclysmic upheaval that the great city had to be abandoned, its buildings collapsed in the flood. The corsair ships that once hid among the sunken islands of Orr capsized, and only a few ships made it out of the tidal areas. Those that did settled along the ruined northern coast, steering clear of the black-masted ships that began sailing the Orrian territories. The lost souls of Orr, commanded by a dark power from below the sea, rose to take command of the land freed from the depths of the sea.
Strange races—the Norn, the Asura and the mysterious Sylvari—took over large portions of the continent. Their civilizations pushed the humans north and west, away from their ancestral land. These races have solidified their presence in Tyria and now take an active role in the events around them.
Dragons
"Never trust the past. There has been too much forgotten, too many things hidden beneath the sand of ages. Even your own memory can lie to you..."
—Decimus the Historian
Over the last 250 years, the races of Tyria have seen a great deal of strife and war. Conflicts between the humans and the Charr, the Norn and any who might challenge them, and among other sentient races have continually threatened the peace of the continent—but these are not the only issues. Although sentient races are one threat, there are, as always, wild creatures and monsters across the countryside; dangers to be faced and troubles to be conquered. But on Tyria, there are even worse things yet to be faced.
The cataclysms that tore apart the land and flooded Lion's Arch were not caused by natural forces, no more than were the earthquakes that freed the Destroyers in the northern Shiverpeaks. These were both caused by the surfacing of ancient powers—true dragons, more dangerous than anything Tyria has ever known before. Glint and Kuunavang were but youths, lesser powers to the ancients that came before. These mystic and terrifying creatures rival the gods themselves.
Primordus was the first of the ancient dragons to awaken, calling his servants from their slumber. With his breath, he twisted earth and stone, shaping creatures and giving them life. Although the death of the Great Destroyer, his most powerful general, set back the dragon's awakening by two generations, Primordus once again rose to create ever more minions far beneath the ground. To this day, he continues to spread his power throughout the deep caverns beneath Tyria.
After Primordus, the other great dragons began to stir one by one. The rise of the dragon beneath Orr caused the entire continent to surface, sparking a tidal wave that swept the coastline and drowned thousands. In the deepest waters of the sea, another dragon breathed, twisting the waters themselves into tentacled horrors that rose from every lake and river of the land. Only a few years ago, yet another dragon erupted from the northern mountains and flew south over the Charr territory of Ascalon. The land directly below the path of the dragon’s flight was corrupted, becoming a crater of horror. The ground blackened from the dragon's presence and any creatures caught within the wind of its breath twisted and changed.
Although these creatures are called dragons, they are as different from Kuunavang and Glint as night to day—more powerful, older, born of different, unfathomable magic, these horrors are controlled by no god nor any other power known to the races of Tyria. What connection they have to these "younger dragons" is unknown, but they certainly do not possess the mercy or familiarity with the sentient races of the world that Kuunavang or Glint portray. The cycle of their awakening reaches back to the time of the giganticus lupicus, and even further, back into prehistory. The only thing known about these monsters is that they have no pity, no curiosity—no concern at all for the other races of the world. Their only goal seems to be to dominate, to control, and to destroy.
Guilds
The guilds of Tyria have grown and expanded, despite the destruction of the Battle Isles. Balthazar helped raise a new temple in Lion's Arch, stepping on the hearthstone of the construction and opening a gate there to the Mists, so that heroes of each world could compete in contest. But these guilds are not racially aligned as they were in the past—no longer restricted merely to humans, they accept heroes of all societies into their halls.
The Asura easily fit into the guild system, using guilds as they would any other krewe designed for a task. To the Charr, the guilds are like warbands. They do not replace the loyalty the Charr hold to their legion but instead allow them unique opportunities to display the strength of their race and increase their own personal reputations as ferocious combatants. Norn are always eager for a fight, and their loyalty to friends makes them a blessing to any combat force. Sylvari bring unique and unpredictable strengths to a guild, and are eager to enter into any danger simply for the experience of it.
Guilds are a prominent force in Tyria, taking on challenges that individual adventurers fear to face, and braving even the most dangerous opponents. It is said that if there is any hope for the races of Tyria to find peace, it will come from the guilds and their atmosphere of cooperation and unity.
Ascalon, Kryta, and Orr
For centuries, humans dominated the continent of Tyria, but over the last 250 yeras that has changed. Humanity clings by a thread, maintaining its cities only through the absolute dedication of its armies. Ascalon City fell. Rin belongs to the Charr. Lion's Arch, inundated by tidal waves, was rebuilt by the mercenary guilds, and Orr . . . rose into undeath and corruption.
The gods of the humans have been notably distant these past two centuries, withdrawing into silence even as the world beneath them shattered. Although they still answer prayers, they do not intervene—even as Tyria crumbles and the human race calls out desperately for heroes to save them from their darkening struggle.
Ascalon
Having lost their homeland to the Charr, the humans of the Ascalon kingdom have been pushed ever west and south. The Great Northern Wall fell, and Ascalon City lies in ruins. The royal line of Adelbern ended with the death of Prince Rurik. The lone remaining human fortress in Ascalon lies at the far southern tip, where the eastern Blazeridge Mountains merge with the western Shiverpeaks. This last Ascalonian fortress, known as Ebonhawke, stands alone against all the might the Charr legions have to offer.
The continuing conflict between the humans and the Charr along the borders of Ascalon forced the humans ever farther into the Shiverpeaks. Although open war has ended save on a few small fronts, the hatred between the Charr legions and the human kingdoms never abated. If anything, it is worse than ever before. Ebonhawke stands alone in defiance, supplied by an Asura gate from Krytan territories.
The Charr solidified their control over Ascalon from their original lands in the north all the way south to the merging of the two mountain ranges at the edge of the Crystal Desert. Within the main territories of Ascalon, between the broken Great Northern Wall and the fortress of Ebonhawke, the Charr rule—but not unchallenged. In the last battle of Ascalon City, Adelbern used the final power of his enchanted sword, Magdaer, a relic from the age when the True Gods walked Tyria and built the city of Arah.
The stories told by the Charr (and the few, scattered human survivors of the battle) speak of a gout of sword-shaped flame rising from the highest tower in the city. After a white, burning heat swept the city streets, the dead and defeated Ascalonian guard arose once more, their spirits animated by the power of Adelbern's sword. In the face of this spectral resistance, the Charr were forced to abandon the city.
Since that time, the spectral soldiers have guarded the ruins of Ascalon City and the eastern frontier. They resist the Charr, but do not communicate with living soldiers from Ebonhawke. Their spirits are only memories, the lingering presence of a past that cannot let go of the present. Some believe that one day, when the rightful king of Ascalon returns with one of the two flaming swords—either Adelbern’s Magdaer or his son's, named Sohothin—the legion will abandon the city and sink at last into peaceful death. Until then, everyone is the enemy.
Kryta
Kryta, too, has known its share of conflict and heartache. Once noble Lion's Arch fell to the plundering sea, its coast devastated by storms, rising water, and tidal waves. And yet, the nation of Kryta is the last bastion of humanity—and in that, their last hope. Under siege from other races for centuries, beset by bad luck and misfortune, and perhaps even forgotten by the gods themselves—human civilization is on the verge of collapse. Only Kryta's crown has survived to this modern age.
Although various factions restored the Krytan throne to its rightful ruler, a descendant of Queen Salma, there is no peace in the Talmark Wilderness. The lands of Kryta have known significant upheaval—both in war and internal conflicts. As the sole remaining human kingdom on the continent of Tyria, Ascalonians flocked there in droves with no king and no real leadership. The few humans who claim Orrian descent never proclaim their heritage publicly; being connected to those dark lands is dangerous in these times. Refugees from Elona and Cantha, discovering themselves trapped by the rising wasters of Orr, struggled to maintain a native culture while integrating into Krytan society. This melting pot of humanity provides the one thing they all seek: a home.
Through faith in the gods and the nobility of the Krytan spirit, the queen solidified her hold over Kryta and her people, and did not devolve into tyrannical rule. From the beginning, they were willing to accept Ascalonian refugees. And, as cataclysms across the world displaced other humans, and Canthans and Elonians joined the wave of humanity fleeing to the new city of Divinity's Reach, they found a welcome home in the high bastion created to replace Lion's Arch when the floodwaters of Orr claimed it. Divinity's Reach, a breathtaking monument of white parapets and high, pale towers, was built on the edge of the Divinity coast, far from the rising waters of the southern bays.
In Divinity's Reach, the new queen of Kryta established a system of government designed to give all people—not just native Krytans—a voice. Senators design law, proposing their measures to the queen, who authorizes or rejects their placement into society. These senators come from all human races, representing many voices working in tandem with the queen's will. Initially, this system was designed as a temporary government for the refugee camps, but in the 150 years since the flood of Lion's Arch, it has become a stable system, a respected government, and a cornerstone of Krytan culture.
However, Kryta is not un-assailed—secret agents of the White Mantle still fight for their unseen gods, and the Centaurs, displaced across the continent, are flooding into human territory, fighting over every scrap of land. Kryta is a war zone with a few safe-havens, a land where humans must fight for their security—and their future.
Orr
Risen from the ocean by the will of a powerful undead dragon, Orr no longer stands under human control. The beings roaming those lands are twisted, perverted remnants of Orr's once-magnificent culture. Drowned by magic and then raised into service by the will of a monster so terrible there are only whispers of its nature, they now serve a dragon more horrible and more powerful than any other being in Tyria.
The elder dragon of Orr rules this re-emerged continent with an indomitable will, claiming the peninsula for its own. The city of Arah, where once the True Gods walked, rose to the surface to become the creature's home. Its arrival heralded a time of cataclysm and change for the world. Though Arah lies in ruins, conquered by the dragon and its minions, those who venture onto Orrian soil say they have seen her spired towers, bedecked with rotted banners and guarded by twisted, draconian troops.
When the dragon awoke and the peninsula breached the waves, once-ruined buildings and shattered coastal highways rose above the sea as well. In addition to drowning the coastlands of Kryta and flooding Lion's Arch, this cataclysmic event even turned parts of northern Elona green again—for a time. The changes were truly cataclysmic across all of Tyria. Only the greatest of heroes dare venture within the ruined cities of Orr; to adventure there is to face the dragon and its minions directly, and that creature's power is not to be underestimated.
Many of the corsairs who inhabited the island chain before the peninsula rose again were subsumed by the dragon's power, twisted by its breath, and enslaved to its will. Ships with black sails, built from seized corsair vessels, sail along the Strait of Malchor, west of Orr. These vessels surround the Fire Islands, manned by undead minions of the dragon that fear neither fire nor sea.
This undead armada has cut off all human contact with Cantha, and the dragon’s undead army wages war even now along the northern Elonian border, preventing all in Tyria from departing for other lands . . . for now.
Cantha, Elona, and the Free City of Lion's Arch
"What we can know about the lands overseas, we know from the hands of refugees, lost warriors, and desperate sojourners. It is slanted, as all such history must be, against the blade of a sword."
—Decimus the Historian
The history of Cantha and Elona, as we know it, ceases around the time of Orr's liberation from the sea. Little contact with these nations has made its way north to the Tyrian continent; the undead of Orr and the upheaval in the Crystal Desert made news scarce and difficult to acquire.
Cantha
In the year 1127 AE, Emperor Usoku, successor to Kisu, took a firm hold of his nation. He raised the Canthan military, spending millions in gold to arm his troops, and then swept the countryside. He defeated the Luxons and the Kurzick, incorporating these disparate people back into his nation. Usoku unified Cantha behind a strong national identity and began to drive out all non-humans. His regime was ironclad, tyrannical, and fierce. Those Canthans who did not agree with the emperor's dictates were given no choice but to leave their homeland, seeking refuge and sanctuary in Elona and Tyria.
As a result, Cantha became extremely isolationist. Once Orr rose from the ocean, those tendencies were reinforced by an inability to safely sail the western seas. Any ships venturing near the Strait of Malchor are sunk by the black ships, then dredged from the ocean floor by the Orrian dragon and commandeered into service. Thus, completely cut off from Kryta, Cantha vanished entirely. Travelers, refugees, and even Xunlai agents residing within Tyrian heard nothing more from Cantha.
Sporadic sailors have washed ashore on the southern coast of the Maguuma jungles, but that is the only evidence that Cantha even exists past the cataclysmic event that cut it off from Tyria. It can only be assumed that Usoku's successors continued his dictatorial, isolationist rule, and that Cantha continues beneath the iron fist of the emperor, as ever.
Elona
For years after the defeat of Varesh Ossa and the fall of Abaddon, Elona was at peace. The Sunspears spread across all three continents, attempting to fulfill their ancient purposes. But the peace they brought was not to last. In their campaign to end the threat of Varesh Ossa and stop Abaddon's final attempt to free himself from the prison of the gods, the Sunspears also unleashed the architect of their own doom back upon the world—a monster who would bring about the next dark age.
The monster's name was Palawa Joko. Within sixty years of Kormir's rise to godhood, Palawa Joko mustered his former power and marched a new army of mummies, zombies, and other undead out of the Crystal Desert into war with Vabbi. To ensure his dominance, Palawa dammed and diverted the river Elon, causing drought and famine amid the northern provinces of Elona and creating a green and growing area within the Crystal Desert. In this area, Palawa Joko established the seat of his new kingdom.
The horrible famine caused by the diverted river caused widespread rebellion among the people of Vabbi and northern Kourna. Palawa Joko then found it all too easy to break the backs of Elonian resistance. Vabbi bowed to his strength simply to survive, and Kourna and Istan both became vassal states.
Palawa’s price for benevolence was tribute, forced loyalty, and all those who bore the name Ossa delivered unto his care. Periodically, a few more descendants were found hiding in the hills of Elona—and all were delivered unto the undead ruler of Elona. From the descendants of his ancient enemy, Palawa created a living army to match his undead one, reveling in the irony that Ossa's children owed their lives—and their loyalty—to him.
Palawa also took great pride in the destruction of his greatest enemies: the Sunspears. Broken, their strongholds destroyed, their members scattered to the winds, they stood as a force no longer in Elona. Eventually, most of the populace forgot about the Order and their heroic deeds. Those few Sunspears who survived passed on the teachings of the Order over the course of more than a hundred years, holding onto the tenets of a barely-remembered vision. They became wandering mystics, philosophers, and lone warriors in a world that chose to forget their presence.
All but a few. Some Sunspears, taken in by Palawa Joko's offers of power and rank, abandoned their vows. These traitors to the Order were given command of Palawa’s armies or allowed to work alone against those in Elona who once scorned them. Each one, converted personally by Palawa, was given power over death and sent out to hunt down and destroy their fellow Sunspears—or bring them before their lord to be drawn into their unholy cause. These knights, called the Mordant Crescent, became a dark presence in the sunlit southern lands of Tyria.
Order of Whispers
The Order still exists and has moved beyond the borders of Elona. The first to discover the awakening of the dragons—in Orr, and elsewhere—the Order was aware that nobody would believe them. They chose instead to spread their members across Tyria, gaining as many converts as possible and then slowly educating them about the real danger threatening all the races of the world.
They work with the Krytans and Ascalonians, and even maintain a presence in Elona, although crossing the Crystal Desert is currently impossible due to Palawa's stranglehold over the southern reaches and the desert dragon's presence in the northern desert. Still, the Order of Whispers somehow maintains communication with Elona, aiding its military in their fight against Palawa and his minions.
The Order of Whispers also contributed to the continuation of human knowledge when Lion's Arch was flooded, threatening the great library within the city. The Order rescued thousands of ancient scrolls, books, and other historical artifacts, carrying them to a hidden monastery in the nearby Shiverpeaks. Stored far above the rising waters, these antiquities remain the only true records of the ancient age of humanity. The monks of that monastery are part historian and part warrior, studying and protecting their sacred charges.
Lion's Arch
When the waters that inundated Lion’s Arch after Orr rose from the sea began to recede, the ruins of that once majestic city became a pirate stronghold. Those seagoing vessels driven off the Orrian island chain by the rise of the undead found safe haven in the ruins of Lion’s Arch and created there a neutral town open to all races, ruled in a mercenary fashion.
The Battle Isles flooded at the same time, decimating the temples. The priests of Balthazar scattered for a time, before also finding their way to Lion’s Arch after the tides began to recede. They claim they were called there by Balthazar, and the god did indeed open a massive portal within the city to the Mists where a great battle between worlds wages for his favor. With the fall of the Battle Isles, Lion’s Arch became the Guild Home, a central point for the guilds of the world as well as the conduit to the Hero’s Hall.
Dwarves
"Those few who remain live undying existences, their flesh and hearts encased in stone. The Great Dwarf gave them the power to defeat the Destroyers . . . but that strength came with a heavy price."
—Decimus the Historian
The fight between the Dwarves and the Destroyers consumed the Dwarven race. Few lived to return to the surface and tell the tale of their victory—and those who did had been irrevocably altered. No longer made of flesh and bone, no blood pumped through their veins. Instead, they found their bodies composed entirely of stone surrounding nothing but cold, hard earth.
No longer interested in maintaining their solidarity as a race, these last Dwarves scattered across Tyria, finding battles to fight in the deep caverns or making new homes in far-flung hills, ever-watching the borders where caverns emerge into the surface world. Those few individuals who can rightfully claim to have met a Dwarf in their lifetime are rare, and all speak of the strange, driven passion that consumes these few survivors.
Charr
The Legions of the Charr threw off the shackles of religion, casting their Shamans down to the lowest order of Charr society, and elevating the military warbands into a solidified government. Although the legions have no central rule, they work together to maintain their territories in Ascalon, and make plans to one day spread farther—eradicating humans wherever they fester on the face of the world.
The four primary legions of the Charr, the Ash Legion, Blood Legion, Gold Legion, and Iron Legion, each control city-strongholds, spread out across the eastern lands. Charr warbands strike out from these safe havens to defend their territories, battling the shades of Ascalonian warriors, the twisted servants of the desert dragon, and the horrifying beasts that come up from beneath the ground throughout Ascalon and the Shiverpeaks.
While all four legions can claim lineage to the Khan-Ur, the ancient ruler of the Charr, the Gold Legion has been considered outcast since the fall of the Shaman caste during the time of the famous Charr heroine Kalla Scorchrazor. And yet, the Charr alliance remains strong enough that none of the three allied legions bars another from their capital. Even though the lands of the Charr are divided, the legions work together to unify the whole and finish their conquest—to the heart of Ascalon City and beyond.
The fall of the Charr Shamans from their height as leaders effected more than the Gold Legion. While Shaman are still considered useful to the war effort, they are also viewed as dangerous and subversive, and are almost universally scorned. No Charr in the new age would willingly suffer a Shaman to rule them.
Even after more than 200 years, the Charr still bristle at the memories of the time when the Shaman and the Titans held power over them. The Charr of today are fierce in their rejection of all gods and any who serve them. They do not accept any god’s authority and are quick-tempered about any Charr worship or manipulation by godlike beings.
And while no Charr would ever willingly follow the Shamans, it is still the underlying goal of every Charr leader to prove his own superiority, subjugate his fellows, and raise the banner of one legion above the rest. Unity, they say, can only be established beneath a single military leader. Most Charr believe that only under such rule can their race fulfill its destiny to rule all of Tyria. Unfortunately for them (and fortunately for the members of the other races), most Charr leaders also believe the only leader capable of unifying their race is themselves.
Asura
The Asura are a subterranean race driven to the surface during the time of the Great Destroyer. Incredibly intelligent, they used their skills with magic and crafting to establish their presence on the surface. With the sudden absence of the Dwarves, the Asura became the foremost crafters on Tyria, their abilities and skills instantly invaluable. The Asura acclimated to life aboveground in the wake of the Destroyers, creating cities that spanned territory above and below the surface.
Although the Asura have grown to appreciate the skills and talents of other races, often using them in experiments or on dangerous missions, they still hold fast to their organized society. They have no organized government, preferring to create krewes and follow the most experienced leader for the duration of each individual task.
The short stature of this race has not impeded their confidence, however. In fact, one might even call them condescending, as they are perhaps a touch too confident for the comfort of some other races. The Asura believe they are destined to rule the larger, less intelligent races of the world. They see humans, especially, as quite good for heavy lifting, and in general terms, view other races as merely pawns to be manipulated in Asuran schemes.
As a step in their master plans, the Asura established good relations with every other intelligent race on Tyria, from the militant Charr to the inquisitive Sylvari. They even established Asura Gates in major cities to provide safe passage from city to city and promote trade. However, they control these gates jealously, maintaining their trade routes and their neutrality as carefully as a gem, always keeping themselves on the edges of disputes and wars. Their own cities are far off the main paths of travel, distant even from central Lion's Arch. There they perform experiments, searching for new magics and new power to control.
Although some say the Asura have integrated into society, it would be more accurate to say they're creeping over it like ivy and moss, fingers digging into crevices where their magic can take hold. In some ways, they fear the caverns beneath the earth, still troubled by horrible beasts of fire and scale. The dragon that dwells in the Depths threatens them above all, forcing them to abandon their ancient ways and discover new resources. For now, to keep their place, they must still maintain their neutrality among the powerful races of Tyria, but the Asura fear that sooner or later they will have to take sides—and then their tottering world may crumble back into the dark depths.
Norn
Many expected the initial Charr expansion through northern Tyria to become a tide of blood that would crash upon the Shiverpeaks, drowning Charr and Norn alike. The reality proved different. When the Charr reached the foothills, the Norn drove them back with a single crushing blow, completely decimating every warband sent against them.
Although it is certain the Charr could have destroyed the Norn resistance if they but turned their entire army—or even one full legion—to the cause, warbands and smaller raiding parties could not overcome the individual strength of the Norn. These initial skirmishes taught both sides to respect the strength of the other.
From this accord of mutual respect and strength arose a strange pseudo-alliance that has yet to be broken. For nearly two hundred years, the eastern border of the Shiverpeaks has been stable. The Charr are allowed passage through Gunnar's Hold, and the lower canyons where the Norn had spread.
In fact, during the Searing, the Norn allowed the Charr armies passage through the northern pass from Ascalon into Kryta, setting the stage for the Charr invasion of the central human lands. Although this was not a sign of any alliance, it set the stage for the two races to live within a watchful peace.
No peace accord was ever signed; a treaty would have been meaningless to the individualistic Norn and no Charr would even spit upon such a paper. However, the two races allowed one another passage and trade, while keeping their borders secure. Occasionally, a warband (or a Norn hunter) might cross the line into the other's land, only to be cut down without prejudice . . . but these skirmishes do not disrupt the accord reached by mutual consent between these nations.
Over the past one hundred years, more and more Norn have been seen in Kryta and lands beyond. An elder dragon of ice and snow arose in the farthest northern peaks, driving even the most stalwart hunters south into Dwarven lands. There they found abandoned Dwarven forts and a new challenge in the form of the Dredge, the old nemeses of the Dwarves, now almost unrecognizable from the primitive, frightened creatures of the past.
The Dredge, reveling in their new-found freedom after the Dwarves fell to the Destroyers, seized that opportunity to become a real threat in the Shiverpeaks, while the Norn revel in the hunt of new enemies. The Norn and the Dredge fight over control of these lands in a continual war that rages along the highest mountains.
The Norn have also kept ties with their human friends, although those ties are not as close as they once were for the Norn often felt betrayed by their unpredictable human allies. In recent years, that sense of betrayal has deepened, as the Norn do not trust the Krytan queen.
The queen is seen by members of this independent race as being too dependant on her advisors, too unwilling to act on her own as a hero must. Although relations have grown colder, the Norn hold out hope that the Krytan queen will prove herself by dominating her race, or that someone else will rise from among the humans to show them what it means to be strong.
Sylvari
While humans explored the Far Shiverpeaks and the Dwarves fought the Destroyers, a new race began to grow in the southern lands of Tyria. A single seed as big as a man's fist, planted in the ground of a ruined village along the southern tip of the Maguuma Jungle, began a centuries-long gestation—and heralded a new age.
This story began with a human soldier named Ronan whom, while separated from his patrol, discovered a cavern filled with strange seed-pods. This cavern was protected by terrible plant creatures, so he fled, clinging to a single seed to show his daughter when he returned home from war. But, upon his arrival, Ronan discovered the Mursaat had destroyed his village and murdered his family, leaving only ruined houses and mass graves. In agony, he planted the seed on their graves and swore never to return to battle.
Ronan was joined by an aging Centaur named Ventari, who had also begun to lose hope in peace. The human and the Centaur, against all odds, formed a friendship that surpassed the bounds of race. Together, they decided to begin their lives anew and create a refuge for human and Centaur alike. They built their safe haven near the ocean and the budding tree for all those who sought peace and the shelter of friendship.
The pale oak grew under the watchful and gentle eye of Ventari, becoming strong and healthy, and giving the old Centaur great joy. Yet with this bliss came sorrow. The Centaur tribes of the north and west, crushed and driven out by Krytans fleeing from their flooding coastline, grew more and more savage and brutal. As more tribes joined the war, fewer were willing to listen to Ventari’s words, and his new outpost became smaller and smaller.
At last, old and gray, Ventari carved his life's lessons upon a marble tablet, which he placed at the base of the pale tree so that future travelers might read it and, perhaps, learn the ways of peace and harmony. Then, many years after his human companion had passed on, Ventari laid down beside the tree Ronan had planted, and died. The year was 1165 AE.
The tree, white and sparkling, continued to grow. Over a hundred years later, small cocoons appeared among its branches. These cocoons spun out, shifting and eventually ripping open, birthing a new race of people into the world—fully grown, as if they had awakened from some magical dream. They called themselves the Sylvari, and these “Firstborn” were only the beginning of a widespread emergence, all born from the same massive tree.
The marble tablet still bears Ventari's last words, and the Sylvari who emerged from the tree found themselves strangely guided by these ancient lessons. Whether the tree, tended by Ventari, somehow became imprinted with the noble Centaur's morals and ethics, or whether it absorbed both the remains of the Centaur's flesh as well as his compassionate soul upon his death, no one knows for certain. But it is certain that his influence over the Sylvari is strong, even so many decades after his death. Their race venerates the Ventari Tablet as their most sacred artifact and testament.
It is unknown how old a Sylvari can become, as they come forth fully mature and show no signs of aging thereafter. Sylvari have no children, no families as such, but each Sylvari feels a special connection with others through what they call the “Dream of Dreams.” In this dream, they commune with the inner mind of the race, learning how to speak, walk, use simple tools, and interact with the world. Thus, when a Sylvari emerges, she knows a great deal more about the world than one might expect.
But the Dream of Dreams also contains nightmares—hidden whispers behind the voices of their fellow Sylvari. They do not understand what it means—but the Sylvari have yet to experience much of the world around them. They do not know the dangers and troubles of Tyria as intimately the other races do. But they are learning.
Time and Tide
The years have not been kind to Tyria. Even so, as green plants grow over the scorched rocks of Ascalon and the waters recede from Lion's Arch, a new city rises and the shattered coastline gives way to new life. New adventures lurk around every corner, and ancient places beneath the surface push up, their doors opened to reveal lost secrets.
However, the massive power of the dragons has been unleashed, spilling across the land like a disease that twists everything in its wake. Unless they can be stopped, the dragons will change the face of Tyria irrevocably, eradicating the sentient races . . . to what end, we can only guess.
Time and tide have changed the world. The races of Tyria now stand on equal ground, fighting for superiority even as dragons far older than history—truly primal powers—awaken to claim the world in their bloody claws. If there are heroes left in these lands anywhere among the races, it is time for them to step forward, if the world is to be saved.
Someone must rise to seize glory, offer a moment of hope, and perhaps give the world one last chance for peace. If those who would be heroes are listening . . .
Actually, there is a lot more out there than just the PCGamer article (which is probably copyrighted so you really shouldn't cut and paste articles from it here, I wouldn't think). Might be better to just post the link.
I was going by the interview with the GuildWars developers at Gamespy and articles published elsewhere. All three of my points have been announced in various ways by ArenaNet and/or in interviews with the Guild Wars 2 development team.
"Unconfirmed"? LOL. How much more confirmation do you need? This is what the developers are saying. I have to figure they would probably know what they are planning to do. One would hope so, anyway.
Actually, there is a lot more out there than just the PCGamer article (which is probably copyrighted so you really shouldn't cut and paste articles from it here, I wouldn't think). Might be better to just post the link. I was going by the interview with the GuildWars developers at Gamespy and articles published elsewhere. All three of my points have been announced in various ways by ArenaNet and/or in interviews with the Guild Wars 2 development team. "Unconfirmed"? LOL. How much more confirmation do you need? This is what the developers are saying. I have to figure they would probably know what they are planning to do. One would hope so, anyway. Try the interview at Gamespy for starters. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/guild-wars-2/784302p1.html
Well as all the press releases that I have on my desk from NCSoft and ANet state that its all unconfirmed I'll go by those as I have to as a games journalist thanks
Actually, there is a lot more out there than just the PCGamer article (which is probably copyrighted so you really shouldn't cut and paste articles from it here, I wouldn't think). Might be better to just post the link.
Well as all the press releases that I have on my desk from NCSoft and ANet state that its all unconfirmed I'll go by those as I have to as a games journalist thanks
If you're really a games journalist as you claim, then you should know that articles from magazines, including PC Gamer, are copyrighted.
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Playing: Final Fantasy Online: ARR, Destiny Most memorable games for me: UO, GW1, LoTRO
Actually, there is a lot more out there than just the PCGamer article (which is probably copyrighted so you really shouldn't cut and paste articles from it here, I wouldn't think). Might be better to just post the link.
Well as all the press releases that I have on my desk from NCSoft and ANet state that its all unconfirmed I'll go by those as I have to as a games journalist thanks
If you're really a games journalist as you claim, then you should know that articles from magazines, including PC Gamer, are copyrighted.
Yep and as i have it on my PC in said press release and I included the copyright information (article Author, source and date), its all good
This is the exact copy/paste that I have on my stations forums and guild forum (ok the guild forum probably isn;t allowed, but fnuh)
Actually, there is a lot more out there than just the PCGamer article (which is probably copyrighted so you really shouldn't cut and paste articles from it here, I wouldn't think). Might be better to just post the link.
Well as all the press releases that I have on my desk from NCSoft and ANet state that its all unconfirmed I'll go by those as I have to as a games journalist thanks
If you're really a games journalist as you claim, then you should know that articles from magazines, including PC Gamer, are copyrighted.
Yep and as i have it on my PC in said press release and I included the copyright information (article Author, source and date), its all good
Actually, it isn't. Just naming author, source and date does not give you any right to redistribute it without explicit permission of the copyright holder.
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Playing: Final Fantasy Online: ARR, Destiny Most memorable games for me: UO, GW1, LoTRO
Actually, there is a lot more out there than just the PCGamer article (which is probably copyrighted so you really shouldn't cut and paste articles from it here, I wouldn't think). Might be better to just post the link.
Well as all the press releases that I have on my desk from NCSoft and ANet state that its all unconfirmed I'll go by those as I have to as a games journalist thanks
If you're really a games journalist as you claim, then you should know that articles from magazines, including PC Gamer, are copyrighted.
Yep and as i have it on my PC in said press release and I included the copyright information (article Author, source and date), its all good
Actually, it isn't. Just naming author, source and date does not give you any right to redistribute it without explicit permission of the copyright holder.
OK, 1, if your going to quote someone, quote everything, 2, this was first published after press releases went out on PC GAmers own US site, making it public property, 3, stop trolling
Originally posted by Lonesamurai1 OK, 1, if your going to quote someone, quote everything, 2, this was first published after press releases went out on PC GAmers own US site, making it public property, 3, stop trolling
1. I see no reason to quote the rest. I'm merely making a remark about copyright infringement.
2. The article you redistributed is not a press release is it? So someone wrote that article, based on the press release. Press releases aren't copyrighted, articles are. If you want to copy and paste, paste the press release then. If you're a journalist, then you should be able to write your own articles. Being a journalist is not the same as copying and pasting articles from someone else.
3. I'm not trolling. I am simply stating that what you're doing isn't legal, and you don't seem to like that.
*EDIT* In case you don't believe me: the publisher of PC Gamer magazine is Future plc and these are their terms and conditions:
Well, as I suggested earlier, a simple link to the article would have been just as good, if not better.
The article was interesting, but I am sad about the dwarves. I am now wondering whether my favorite race will be playable in GW2. It doesn't sound like it....
Reason to be depressed about GW2 number 4--
You can't be a dwarf. Then again, the dwarves in GW (apart from Ogden) have always been so darned ugly anyway. Maybe I'm not so sad about this after all.
Well, as I suggested earlier, a simple link to the article would have been just as good, if not better. The article was interesting, but I am sad about the dwarves. I am now wondering whether my favorite race will be playable in GW2. It doesn't sound like it.... Reason to be depressed about GW2 number 4-- You can't be a dwarf. Then again, the dwarves in GW (apart from Ogden) have always been so darned ugly anyway. Maybe I'm not so sad about this after all.
Nope, it has been categorically stated in all interviews and chats with devs, designers, etc that no, Dwarves are a dead race and won't be playable in GW2 (although Jedi were near extinct in Star wars, but look what happened to Star wars Galaxies when SOE made jedi a playable profession from the start... Lame...)
And Linking to the article is all well and good, but not everyone actually clicks links due to the chances (however slim) of catching something on your PC from disreputable links... I made life easier for people so they could read without having to link to it, i appologize for making your petty lives easier and i won't even pass on this cool information to you again
Well, having gotten my second character - a ranger - through EoTN, and having watched Ogden's Benediction again, I did feel a wave of sadness come over me as I watched. Yes, I know I'll be able to come back and play my characters in GW 1 anytime I want. The source of my melancholy was not about whether GW 1 would ever go away, it's the feeling you get from coming to the end of a really good book or movie wishing it could go on forever.
The line that got me most in the benediction was about "the children of legends" and the feeling that the character's I've developed, and have come to know and "love" over more than 2 years of playing them, are finite, mortal beings - just like me.
Think about it: GW 2 is set 250 years in Tyria's future. By this time, the great, great, great grandchildren of characters like Duncan Serling and Gwen Littledove will be battling evil, and all the great heroes from Tyria's past will have died long before, unable to come to the aid of the descendants they'll never know, just as those heroes who lived before us - and who forged the way for our future - are long distant memories.
Who wouldn't give their right arm to sit down and spend even just five minutes with an ancestor who lived through the Civil War, or who stormed Bunker Hill? What would you give to spend a few minutes with Leonidas of Sparta or King David: men who were heroes to their people and who changed the course of history?
I'm not suggesting virtual heroes in a virtual world rise to the level of real people in the real world except as metaphors and symbols, but what they symbolize is the desire in each and every one of us to find some small bit of the adventurer and hero in all of us.
If saving the virtual world of Tyria hasn't made you feel even a little bit heroic - if only in the virtual sense - what was the point of playing? And if you can feel pride in the sense of accomplishment you get from being a hero there, how much moreso would you feel it doing something truly heroic in real life?
If nothing else, let this simple game inspire you to leave a real-life legacy of heroism and kindness to the descendants you will never know, if only because it's the right thing to do. And true heroes always strive to do that which is right.
I haven't finished EotN yet (I'm trying to drag out the story as long as I can by playing different alts on different days).
But I am sorta hoping EotN might do well enough that NCSoft reconsiders developing additional campaigns like it. (Yeah, I know that's a longshot, but no harm in hoping. They did bring back Classic Coke, after all!)
The GW1 formula has worked awfully well. It stills seems odd to me that they would want to "reinvent" a game that has done so much better in the marketplace than so many other games that have come, tanked, and faded away. It would be like WoW coming out with "WoW2" as an FPS...
I would be far more interested in purchasing another EotN-type expansion than GW2, at least based on what I've heard of GW2 thus far.
If you're reading this, please create a way to ensconce not just our avatars' weapons, armor, mini-pets, accomplishments and heroes in the Hall of Monuments, but the images of our current heroes themselves. I think it would be cool - while playing GW 2 - to bring my Ranger's descendent into the hall to be able to gaze upon a bronze likeness of him.
P.S. I'm in the process of writing a fictional account based on the lives of some of my avatars with an eye toward eventually getting it published. Any chance Arenanet might be interested in it?
Hey Arenanet... If you're reading this, please create a way to ensconce not just our avatars' weapons, armor, mini-pets, accomplishments and heroes in the Hall of Monuments, but the images of our current heroes themselves. I think it would be cool - while playing GW 2 - to bring my Ranger's descendent into the hall to be able to gaze upon a bronze likeness of him. P.S. I'm in the process of writing a fictional account based on the lives of some of my avatars with an eye toward eventually getting it published. Any chance Arenanet might be interested in it?
Do you mean our characters? or our characters heroes? Because right now you can out both in the hall of monuments...
You can out a statue of yourself up in there if your character has Elite 15k armour and you can put hero statues up if you have gotten them the special challenge mission armours
the only thing that worries me about GW2 is if they borrow too heavily from that which is WoW... I can't stress how *NON* casual friendly WoW's endgame is.. GW is far far better for me, so hopefully they'll keep what makes GW great in (solo and small group focus) and keep what makes WoW crap out (25+ man raids.. no thanks)
I know, GW isn't WoW.. but so many game dev's look at WoW's subscription numbers and loose their mind (and creativity), so I feel my concern is justified somewhat.
the only thing that worries me about GW2 is if they borrow too heavily from that which is WoW... I can't stress how *NON* casual friendly WoW's endgame is.. GW is far far better for me, so hopefully they'll keep what makes GW great in (solo and small group focus) and keep what makes WoW crap out (25+ man raids.. no thanks) I know, GW isn't WoW.. but so many game dev's look at WoW's subscription numbers and loose their mind (and creativity), so I feel my concern is justified somewhat.
Ok, 1, what crystal ball are you getting your information about GW2 copying WoW from?
and, 2, how can anything copy WoW, when WoW itself is a copy of MMO's that have gone before... Ok, it uses the Lore from Warcraft, but apart from the lore, the game is a direct copy of almost all other hack and slash grind MMO's
the only thing that worries me about GW2 is if they borrow too heavily from that which is WoW... I can't stress how *NON* casual friendly WoW's endgame is.. GW is far far better for me, so hopefully they'll keep what makes GW great in (solo and small group focus) and keep what makes WoW crap out (25+ man raids.. no thanks) I know, GW isn't WoW.. but so many game dev's look at WoW's subscription numbers and loose their mind (and creativity), so I feel my concern is justified somewhat.
Ok, 1, what crystal ball are you getting your information about GW2 copying WoW from?
and, 2, how can anything copy WoW, when WoW itself is a copy of MMO's that have gone before... Ok, it uses the Lore from Warcraft, but apart from the lore, the game is a direct copy of almost all other hack and slash grind MMO's
I never said I had a crystal ball or that I was gleening information from it... simply looking at past trends set by other devs trying to reap the benefits of WoW's high subscription numbers has led them to develop rather poorly veiled clones.... case and point, LOTRO (yeah I was in that beta.. ) and going from those experiences I was expressing my hope that Arenanet does *NOT* follow suit and continues to do their own rather well developed thing.
WoW IS a copy of what came before it, again nobody can or should try to deny that.... but it skewed gameplay in such a way that it's EXTREMELY accessable (at least until you hit the level cap at which time all that changes.) Up to the level cap it can be a lot of fun... at the level cap.. it's EQ: PoP all over again (just on a smaller scale)... so they actually did exercise *some* degree of creativity in creating a leveling system that was VERY easy to pull people into.. something previous games had failed to do as well. We are the "immediate gratification" generation and WoW's leveling system caters to that mindset very very well... and then at the level cap they totally drop the ball. But by then you feel vested and have invested a ton of time in a character and are less likely to quit.
I mean our characters. I already have some of my characters' heroes ensconced. Just wanted to know if there is a way to get my character's in the HoM.
BTW, does end-game Factions armor qualify as 15k elite? It does cost 15k, after all. (And if not, does this mean farming the UW and FoW for ectos to get FoW armor? If so, screw that. I'd rather have bamboo shoved under my fingernails)
I mean our characters. I already have some of my characters' heroes ensconced. Just wanted to know if there is a way to get my character's in the HoM. BTW, does end-game Factions armor qualify as 15k elite? It does cost 15k, after all. (And if not, does this mean farming the UW and FoW for ectos to get FoW armor? If so, screw that. I'd rather have bamboo shoved under my fingernails)
Yes, most 15k armour does
My Necro has Elite profane armour in his HoM and it looks damn cool(I actually think this is why they changed some of the armour names to Elite)
Here's a quick list of Armours that will go into the HoM:
AmazingAveryAge of Conan AdvocateMemberUncommonPosts: 7,188
Nice helpful links above! well done.
My character (same name as forum name here) has a nice set of Obsidian Warrior armor in my HoM, its great I can save my accomplishment there, after wearing it for about 20 months now.
Still working on my titles up for display though.
Im happy GW2 is starting a fresh, that way the GW1 plus expantions wont seem so stale to me. Rather look back fondly than continue to play the same old stuff.
Really looking forward to the new concepts for GW2
Nice helpful links above! well done. My character (same name as forum name here) has a nice set of Obsidian Warrior armor in my HoM, its great I can save my accomplishment there, after wearing it for about 20 months now. Still working on my titles up for display though. Im happy GW2 is starting a fresh, that way the GW1 plus expantions wont seem so stale to me. Rather look back fondly than continue to play the same old stuff. Really looking forward to the new concepts for GW2
Thanks, took me a few minutes to copy and paste all that from the wiki... had to go for a lay down afterwards lol
Anyway, theres concept art starting to be filtered out from ANet now, when I get links, i'll post them here after i post them on my guild and station forums
GW will still be there, no doubt. By experience, I was playing DAOC some years ago and now the population is less than 5000 players (maybe 2000 ?)... and the game is still there for the FANS, same things about EQ1 and Ultima Online.
Its clear that when GW2 will be up and running, we'll see a lot of empty districs the time that the GW2 players try the game....Remember, why peoples love GW ? because isnt an MMO, we can play alone with Hench and Heroes, doing mission/quest and never care about anythings. The cap level is 20 and the peoples play for is own pleasure, I mean, doing their quests, chest run, instances, and to get some new items and of course the new armor set when you finish the game
I'll try GW2 for sure, but I dont like the competition about the leveling like WoW and others MMO...Its why I left WoW and the others MMO when I got some high level toons...
After played all MMO'S since 6 years, I would say that the best MMO that I was played was;
- Star Wars Galaxies (Pre-CU) and Guild Wars because they never been a leveling base games...
All my friends play WoW and EQ2...The thing that I always heard is "Man I can't do this instance because I'm not 60 or 70 and I dont have my tier 5, 6 or 7..." So they stuck in the city and waste their precious time...You will never see this in GW
Have fun and long live to Guld Wars
Play : Guild Wars (2 Accounts)
-Wake Up Dead (N/Mo) and a lot of others 20 lvl toons...
Comments
What the final result for GW2 is anyone's guess, but conjecture and discussion based on what they have said about the direction they are headed is fair game for discussion.
The only confirmed things so far are whats on the Wiki (still subject to change of course) and all the story and lore that was recently released from PC Gamer...
Here you go to tease you:
The Movement of the World
A Guild Wars 2 History Lesson, by Ree Soesbee
"By the Mouvelian calendar, the year when the Goddess Kormir ascended was the year 1075. From that date, we will begin our history lesson, and within that classification of dates we will show you the future—that has become our past. For two hundred and fifty years, the heroes of Tyria have struggled as the world shifted around them. Massive upheavals, cataclysms, and other global-spanning events have changed the world. The humans are in decline. Other races are rising, taking control of large portions of the world and shifting the balance of power. The world has changed."
—Decimus the Historian, Durmand Priory
The world of Tyria has known conflict, chaos, and generations of war. Rarely has there been a time of peace in these troubled lands. The years since the Ascension of Kormir and the defeat of the Great Destroyer have been no different. There have been dangers. There have been adventures. The world is no longer the Tyria it once was—and yet, so many things are the same, beneath her troubled exterior.
Sleeping monsters, aeons old, have awakened. They crawled from beneath the earth, razor claws sinking into stone and ground over a world that has not seen their like in millennia—and where they rose, they dominated the world around them, twisting it to serve their purposes. The first of these, Primordus, gathered minions to replace the Destroyers that once served its cause and began to overrun the caverns beneath the earth, gradually pressing the Asura to the surface. Gunnar's Hold fell to monsters of ice, and the Norn were driven southward into the empty territory that had once been held by the Dwarves. The Charr have a tentative friendship with the Norn, respecting their sense of power and personal strength.
To the south, the peninsula of Orr has risen from the ocean, flooding the coasts with tidal waves. Sanctum Cay, D'Alessio Seaboard, and the Battle Isles sank beneath the waves, and even Lion's Arch was so completely flooded by the cataclysmic upheaval that the great city had to be abandoned, its buildings collapsed in the flood. The corsair ships that once hid among the sunken islands of Orr capsized, and only a few ships made it out of the tidal areas. Those that did settled along the ruined northern coast, steering clear of the black-masted ships that began sailing the Orrian territories. The lost souls of Orr, commanded by a dark power from below the sea, rose to take command of the land freed from the depths of the sea.
Strange races—the Norn, the Asura and the mysterious Sylvari—took over large portions of the continent. Their civilizations pushed the humans north and west, away from their ancestral land. These races have solidified their presence in Tyria and now take an active role in the events around them.
Dragons
"Never trust the past. There has been too much forgotten, too many things hidden beneath the sand of ages. Even your own memory can lie to you..."
—Decimus the Historian
Over the last 250 years, the races of Tyria have seen a great deal of strife and war. Conflicts between the humans and the Charr, the Norn and any who might challenge them, and among other sentient races have continually threatened the peace of the continent—but these are not the only issues. Although sentient races are one threat, there are, as always, wild creatures and monsters across the countryside; dangers to be faced and troubles to be conquered. But on Tyria, there are even worse things yet to be faced.
The cataclysms that tore apart the land and flooded Lion's Arch were not caused by natural forces, no more than were the earthquakes that freed the Destroyers in the northern Shiverpeaks. These were both caused by the surfacing of ancient powers—true dragons, more dangerous than anything Tyria has ever known before. Glint and Kuunavang were but youths, lesser powers to the ancients that came before. These mystic and terrifying creatures rival the gods themselves.
Primordus was the first of the ancient dragons to awaken, calling his servants from their slumber. With his breath, he twisted earth and stone, shaping creatures and giving them life. Although the death of the Great Destroyer, his most powerful general, set back the dragon's awakening by two generations, Primordus once again rose to create ever more minions far beneath the ground. To this day, he continues to spread his power throughout the deep caverns beneath Tyria.
After Primordus, the other great dragons began to stir one by one. The rise of the dragon beneath Orr caused the entire continent to surface, sparking a tidal wave that swept the coastline and drowned thousands. In the deepest waters of the sea, another dragon breathed, twisting the waters themselves into tentacled horrors that rose from every lake and river of the land. Only a few years ago, yet another dragon erupted from the northern mountains and flew south over the Charr territory of Ascalon. The land directly below the path of the dragon’s flight was corrupted, becoming a crater of horror. The ground blackened from the dragon's presence and any creatures caught within the wind of its breath twisted and changed.
Although these creatures are called dragons, they are as different from Kuunavang and Glint as night to day—more powerful, older, born of different, unfathomable magic, these horrors are controlled by no god nor any other power known to the races of Tyria. What connection they have to these "younger dragons" is unknown, but they certainly do not possess the mercy or familiarity with the sentient races of the world that Kuunavang or Glint portray. The cycle of their awakening reaches back to the time of the giganticus lupicus, and even further, back into prehistory. The only thing known about these monsters is that they have no pity, no curiosity—no concern at all for the other races of the world. Their only goal seems to be to dominate, to control, and to destroy.
Guilds
The guilds of Tyria have grown and expanded, despite the destruction of the Battle Isles. Balthazar helped raise a new temple in Lion's Arch, stepping on the hearthstone of the construction and opening a gate there to the Mists, so that heroes of each world could compete in contest. But these guilds are not racially aligned as they were in the past—no longer restricted merely to humans, they accept heroes of all societies into their halls.
The Asura easily fit into the guild system, using guilds as they would any other krewe designed for a task. To the Charr, the guilds are like warbands. They do not replace the loyalty the Charr hold to their legion but instead allow them unique opportunities to display the strength of their race and increase their own personal reputations as ferocious combatants. Norn are always eager for a fight, and their loyalty to friends makes them a blessing to any combat force. Sylvari bring unique and unpredictable strengths to a guild, and are eager to enter into any danger simply for the experience of it.
Guilds are a prominent force in Tyria, taking on challenges that individual adventurers fear to face, and braving even the most dangerous opponents. It is said that if there is any hope for the races of Tyria to find peace, it will come from the guilds and their atmosphere of cooperation and unity.
Ascalon, Kryta, and Orr
For centuries, humans dominated the continent of Tyria, but over the last 250 yeras that has changed. Humanity clings by a thread, maintaining its cities only through the absolute dedication of its armies. Ascalon City fell. Rin belongs to the Charr. Lion's Arch, inundated by tidal waves, was rebuilt by the mercenary guilds, and Orr . . . rose into undeath and corruption.
The gods of the humans have been notably distant these past two centuries, withdrawing into silence even as the world beneath them shattered. Although they still answer prayers, they do not intervene—even as Tyria crumbles and the human race calls out desperately for heroes to save them from their darkening struggle.
Ascalon
Having lost their homeland to the Charr, the humans of the Ascalon kingdom have been pushed ever west and south. The Great Northern Wall fell, and Ascalon City lies in ruins. The royal line of Adelbern ended with the death of Prince Rurik. The lone remaining human fortress in Ascalon lies at the far southern tip, where the eastern Blazeridge Mountains merge with the western Shiverpeaks. This last Ascalonian fortress, known as Ebonhawke, stands alone against all the might the Charr legions have to offer.
The continuing conflict between the humans and the Charr along the borders of Ascalon forced the humans ever farther into the Shiverpeaks. Although open war has ended save on a few small fronts, the hatred between the Charr legions and the human kingdoms never abated. If anything, it is worse than ever before. Ebonhawke stands alone in defiance, supplied by an Asura gate from Krytan territories.
The Charr solidified their control over Ascalon from their original lands in the north all the way south to the merging of the two mountain ranges at the edge of the Crystal Desert. Within the main territories of Ascalon, between the broken Great Northern Wall and the fortress of Ebonhawke, the Charr rule—but not unchallenged. In the last battle of Ascalon City, Adelbern used the final power of his enchanted sword, Magdaer, a relic from the age when the True Gods walked Tyria and built the city of Arah.
The stories told by the Charr (and the few, scattered human survivors of the battle) speak of a gout of sword-shaped flame rising from the highest tower in the city. After a white, burning heat swept the city streets, the dead and defeated Ascalonian guard arose once more, their spirits animated by the power of Adelbern's sword. In the face of this spectral resistance, the Charr were forced to abandon the city.
Since that time, the spectral soldiers have guarded the ruins of Ascalon City and the eastern frontier. They resist the Charr, but do not communicate with living soldiers from Ebonhawke. Their spirits are only memories, the lingering presence of a past that cannot let go of the present. Some believe that one day, when the rightful king of Ascalon returns with one of the two flaming swords—either Adelbern’s Magdaer or his son's, named Sohothin—the legion will abandon the city and sink at last into peaceful death. Until then, everyone is the enemy.
Kryta
Kryta, too, has known its share of conflict and heartache. Once noble Lion's Arch fell to the plundering sea, its coast devastated by storms, rising water, and tidal waves. And yet, the nation of Kryta is the last bastion of humanity—and in that, their last hope. Under siege from other races for centuries, beset by bad luck and misfortune, and perhaps even forgotten by the gods themselves—human civilization is on the verge of collapse. Only Kryta's crown has survived to this modern age.
Although various factions restored the Krytan throne to its rightful ruler, a descendant of Queen Salma, there is no peace in the Talmark Wilderness. The lands of Kryta have known significant upheaval—both in war and internal conflicts. As the sole remaining human kingdom on the continent of Tyria, Ascalonians flocked there in droves with no king and no real leadership. The few humans who claim Orrian descent never proclaim their heritage publicly; being connected to those dark lands is dangerous in these times. Refugees from Elona and Cantha, discovering themselves trapped by the rising wasters of Orr, struggled to maintain a native culture while integrating into Krytan society. This melting pot of humanity provides the one thing they all seek: a home.
Through faith in the gods and the nobility of the Krytan spirit, the queen solidified her hold over Kryta and her people, and did not devolve into tyrannical rule. From the beginning, they were willing to accept Ascalonian refugees. And, as cataclysms across the world displaced other humans, and Canthans and Elonians joined the wave of humanity fleeing to the new city of Divinity's Reach, they found a welcome home in the high bastion created to replace Lion's Arch when the floodwaters of Orr claimed it. Divinity's Reach, a breathtaking monument of white parapets and high, pale towers, was built on the edge of the Divinity coast, far from the rising waters of the southern bays.
In Divinity's Reach, the new queen of Kryta established a system of government designed to give all people—not just native Krytans—a voice. Senators design law, proposing their measures to the queen, who authorizes or rejects their placement into society. These senators come from all human races, representing many voices working in tandem with the queen's will. Initially, this system was designed as a temporary government for the refugee camps, but in the 150 years since the flood of Lion's Arch, it has become a stable system, a respected government, and a cornerstone of Krytan culture.
However, Kryta is not un-assailed—secret agents of the White Mantle still fight for their unseen gods, and the Centaurs, displaced across the continent, are flooding into human territory, fighting over every scrap of land. Kryta is a war zone with a few safe-havens, a land where humans must fight for their security—and their future.
Orr
Risen from the ocean by the will of a powerful undead dragon, Orr no longer stands under human control. The beings roaming those lands are twisted, perverted remnants of Orr's once-magnificent culture. Drowned by magic and then raised into service by the will of a monster so terrible there are only whispers of its nature, they now serve a dragon more horrible and more powerful than any other being in Tyria.
The elder dragon of Orr rules this re-emerged continent with an indomitable will, claiming the peninsula for its own. The city of Arah, where once the True Gods walked, rose to the surface to become the creature's home. Its arrival heralded a time of cataclysm and change for the world. Though Arah lies in ruins, conquered by the dragon and its minions, those who venture onto Orrian soil say they have seen her spired towers, bedecked with rotted banners and guarded by twisted, draconian troops.
When the dragon awoke and the peninsula breached the waves, once-ruined buildings and shattered coastal highways rose above the sea as well. In addition to drowning the coastlands of Kryta and flooding Lion's Arch, this cataclysmic event even turned parts of northern Elona green again—for a time. The changes were truly cataclysmic across all of Tyria. Only the greatest of heroes dare venture within the ruined cities of Orr; to adventure there is to face the dragon and its minions directly, and that creature's power is not to be underestimated.
Many of the corsairs who inhabited the island chain before the peninsula rose again were subsumed by the dragon's power, twisted by its breath, and enslaved to its will. Ships with black sails, built from seized corsair vessels, sail along the Strait of Malchor, west of Orr. These vessels surround the Fire Islands, manned by undead minions of the dragon that fear neither fire nor sea.
This undead armada has cut off all human contact with Cantha, and the dragon’s undead army wages war even now along the northern Elonian border, preventing all in Tyria from departing for other lands . . . for now.
Cantha, Elona, and the Free City of Lion's Arch
"What we can know about the lands overseas, we know from the hands of refugees, lost warriors, and desperate sojourners. It is slanted, as all such history must be, against the blade of a sword."
—Decimus the Historian
The history of Cantha and Elona, as we know it, ceases around the time of Orr's liberation from the sea. Little contact with these nations has made its way north to the Tyrian continent; the undead of Orr and the upheaval in the Crystal Desert made news scarce and difficult to acquire.
Cantha
In the year 1127 AE, Emperor Usoku, successor to Kisu, took a firm hold of his nation. He raised the Canthan military, spending millions in gold to arm his troops, and then swept the countryside. He defeated the Luxons and the Kurzick, incorporating these disparate people back into his nation. Usoku unified Cantha behind a strong national identity and began to drive out all non-humans. His regime was ironclad, tyrannical, and fierce. Those Canthans who did not agree with the emperor's dictates were given no choice but to leave their homeland, seeking refuge and sanctuary in Elona and Tyria.
As a result, Cantha became extremely isolationist. Once Orr rose from the ocean, those tendencies were reinforced by an inability to safely sail the western seas. Any ships venturing near the Strait of Malchor are sunk by the black ships, then dredged from the ocean floor by the Orrian dragon and commandeered into service. Thus, completely cut off from Kryta, Cantha vanished entirely. Travelers, refugees, and even Xunlai agents residing within Tyrian heard nothing more from Cantha.
Sporadic sailors have washed ashore on the southern coast of the Maguuma jungles, but that is the only evidence that Cantha even exists past the cataclysmic event that cut it off from Tyria. It can only be assumed that Usoku's successors continued his dictatorial, isolationist rule, and that Cantha continues beneath the iron fist of the emperor, as ever.
Elona
For years after the defeat of Varesh Ossa and the fall of Abaddon, Elona was at peace. The Sunspears spread across all three continents, attempting to fulfill their ancient purposes. But the peace they brought was not to last. In their campaign to end the threat of Varesh Ossa and stop Abaddon's final attempt to free himself from the prison of the gods, the Sunspears also unleashed the architect of their own doom back upon the world—a monster who would bring about the next dark age.
The monster's name was Palawa Joko. Within sixty years of Kormir's rise to godhood, Palawa Joko mustered his former power and marched a new army of mummies, zombies, and other undead out of the Crystal Desert into war with Vabbi. To ensure his dominance, Palawa dammed and diverted the river Elon, causing drought and famine amid the northern provinces of Elona and creating a green and growing area within the Crystal Desert. In this area, Palawa Joko established the seat of his new kingdom.
The horrible famine caused by the diverted river caused widespread rebellion among the people of Vabbi and northern Kourna. Palawa Joko then found it all too easy to break the backs of Elonian resistance. Vabbi bowed to his strength simply to survive, and Kourna and Istan both became vassal states.
Palawa’s price for benevolence was tribute, forced loyalty, and all those who bore the name Ossa delivered unto his care. Periodically, a few more descendants were found hiding in the hills of Elona—and all were delivered unto the undead ruler of Elona. From the descendants of his ancient enemy, Palawa created a living army to match his undead one, reveling in the irony that Ossa's children owed their lives—and their loyalty—to him.
Palawa also took great pride in the destruction of his greatest enemies: the Sunspears. Broken, their strongholds destroyed, their members scattered to the winds, they stood as a force no longer in Elona. Eventually, most of the populace forgot about the Order and their heroic deeds. Those few Sunspears who survived passed on the teachings of the Order over the course of more than a hundred years, holding onto the tenets of a barely-remembered vision. They became wandering mystics, philosophers, and lone warriors in a world that chose to forget their presence.
All but a few. Some Sunspears, taken in by Palawa Joko's offers of power and rank, abandoned their vows. These traitors to the Order were given command of Palawa’s armies or allowed to work alone against those in Elona who once scorned them. Each one, converted personally by Palawa, was given power over death and sent out to hunt down and destroy their fellow Sunspears—or bring them before their lord to be drawn into their unholy cause. These knights, called the Mordant Crescent, became a dark presence in the sunlit southern lands of Tyria.
Order of Whispers
The Order still exists and has moved beyond the borders of Elona. The first to discover the awakening of the dragons—in Orr, and elsewhere—the Order was aware that nobody would believe them. They chose instead to spread their members across Tyria, gaining as many converts as possible and then slowly educating them about the real danger threatening all the races of the world.
They work with the Krytans and Ascalonians, and even maintain a presence in Elona, although crossing the Crystal Desert is currently impossible due to Palawa's stranglehold over the southern reaches and the desert dragon's presence in the northern desert. Still, the Order of Whispers somehow maintains communication with Elona, aiding its military in their fight against Palawa and his minions.
The Order of Whispers also contributed to the continuation of human knowledge when Lion's Arch was flooded, threatening the great library within the city. The Order rescued thousands of ancient scrolls, books, and other historical artifacts, carrying them to a hidden monastery in the nearby Shiverpeaks. Stored far above the rising waters, these antiquities remain the only true records of the ancient age of humanity. The monks of that monastery are part historian and part warrior, studying and protecting their sacred charges.
Lion's Arch
When the waters that inundated Lion’s Arch after Orr rose from the sea began to recede, the ruins of that once majestic city became a pirate stronghold. Those seagoing vessels driven off the Orrian island chain by the rise of the undead found safe haven in the ruins of Lion’s Arch and created there a neutral town open to all races, ruled in a mercenary fashion.
The Battle Isles flooded at the same time, decimating the temples. The priests of Balthazar scattered for a time, before also finding their way to Lion’s Arch after the tides began to recede. They claim they were called there by Balthazar, and the god did indeed open a massive portal within the city to the Mists where a great battle between worlds wages for his favor. With the fall of the Battle Isles, Lion’s Arch became the Guild Home, a central point for the guilds of the world as well as the conduit to the Hero’s Hall.
Dwarves
"Those few who remain live undying existences, their flesh and hearts encased in stone. The Great Dwarf gave them the power to defeat the Destroyers . . . but that strength came with a heavy price."
—Decimus the Historian
The fight between the Dwarves and the Destroyers consumed the Dwarven race. Few lived to return to the surface and tell the tale of their victory—and those who did had been irrevocably altered. No longer made of flesh and bone, no blood pumped through their veins. Instead, they found their bodies composed entirely of stone surrounding nothing but cold, hard earth.
No longer interested in maintaining their solidarity as a race, these last Dwarves scattered across Tyria, finding battles to fight in the deep caverns or making new homes in far-flung hills, ever-watching the borders where caverns emerge into the surface world. Those few individuals who can rightfully claim to have met a Dwarf in their lifetime are rare, and all speak of the strange, driven passion that consumes these few survivors.
Charr
The Legions of the Charr threw off the shackles of religion, casting their Shamans down to the lowest order of Charr society, and elevating the military warbands into a solidified government. Although the legions have no central rule, they work together to maintain their territories in Ascalon, and make plans to one day spread farther—eradicating humans wherever they fester on the face of the world.
The four primary legions of the Charr, the Ash Legion, Blood Legion, Gold Legion, and Iron Legion, each control city-strongholds, spread out across the eastern lands. Charr warbands strike out from these safe havens to defend their territories, battling the shades of Ascalonian warriors, the twisted servants of the desert dragon, and the horrifying beasts that come up from beneath the ground throughout Ascalon and the Shiverpeaks.
While all four legions can claim lineage to the Khan-Ur, the ancient ruler of the Charr, the Gold Legion has been considered outcast since the fall of the Shaman caste during the time of the famous Charr heroine Kalla Scorchrazor. And yet, the Charr alliance remains strong enough that none of the three allied legions bars another from their capital. Even though the lands of the Charr are divided, the legions work together to unify the whole and finish their conquest—to the heart of Ascalon City and beyond.
The fall of the Charr Shamans from their height as leaders effected more than the Gold Legion. While Shaman are still considered useful to the war effort, they are also viewed as dangerous and subversive, and are almost universally scorned. No Charr in the new age would willingly suffer a Shaman to rule them.
Even after more than 200 years, the Charr still bristle at the memories of the time when the Shaman and the Titans held power over them. The Charr of today are fierce in their rejection of all gods and any who serve them. They do not accept any god’s authority and are quick-tempered about any Charr worship or manipulation by godlike beings.
And while no Charr would ever willingly follow the Shamans, it is still the underlying goal of every Charr leader to prove his own superiority, subjugate his fellows, and raise the banner of one legion above the rest. Unity, they say, can only be established beneath a single military leader. Most Charr believe that only under such rule can their race fulfill its destiny to rule all of Tyria. Unfortunately for them (and fortunately for the members of the other races), most Charr leaders also believe the only leader capable of unifying their race is themselves.
Asura
The Asura are a subterranean race driven to the surface during the time of the Great Destroyer. Incredibly intelligent, they used their skills with magic and crafting to establish their presence on the surface. With the sudden absence of the Dwarves, the Asura became the foremost crafters on Tyria, their abilities and skills instantly invaluable. The Asura acclimated to life aboveground in the wake of the Destroyers, creating cities that spanned territory above and below the surface.
Although the Asura have grown to appreciate the skills and talents of other races, often using them in experiments or on dangerous missions, they still hold fast to their organized society. They have no organized government, preferring to create krewes and follow the most experienced leader for the duration of each individual task.
The short stature of this race has not impeded their confidence, however. In fact, one might even call them condescending, as they are perhaps a touch too confident for the comfort of some other races. The Asura believe they are destined to rule the larger, less intelligent races of the world. They see humans, especially, as quite good for heavy lifting, and in general terms, view other races as merely pawns to be manipulated in Asuran schemes.
As a step in their master plans, the Asura established good relations with every other intelligent race on Tyria, from the militant Charr to the inquisitive Sylvari. They even established Asura Gates in major cities to provide safe passage from city to city and promote trade. However, they control these gates jealously, maintaining their trade routes and their neutrality as carefully as a gem, always keeping themselves on the edges of disputes and wars. Their own cities are far off the main paths of travel, distant even from central Lion's Arch. There they perform experiments, searching for new magics and new power to control.
Although some say the Asura have integrated into society, it would be more accurate to say they're creeping over it like ivy and moss, fingers digging into crevices where their magic can take hold. In some ways, they fear the caverns beneath the earth, still troubled by horrible beasts of fire and scale. The dragon that dwells in the Depths threatens them above all, forcing them to abandon their ancient ways and discover new resources. For now, to keep their place, they must still maintain their neutrality among the powerful races of Tyria, but the Asura fear that sooner or later they will have to take sides—and then their tottering world may crumble back into the dark depths.
Norn
Many expected the initial Charr expansion through northern Tyria to become a tide of blood that would crash upon the Shiverpeaks, drowning Charr and Norn alike. The reality proved different. When the Charr reached the foothills, the Norn drove them back with a single crushing blow, completely decimating every warband sent against them.
Although it is certain the Charr could have destroyed the Norn resistance if they but turned their entire army—or even one full legion—to the cause, warbands and smaller raiding parties could not overcome the individual strength of the Norn. These initial skirmishes taught both sides to respect the strength of the other.
From this accord of mutual respect and strength arose a strange pseudo-alliance that has yet to be broken. For nearly two hundred years, the eastern border of the Shiverpeaks has been stable. The Charr are allowed passage through Gunnar's Hold, and the lower canyons where the Norn had spread.
In fact, during the Searing, the Norn allowed the Charr armies passage through the northern pass from Ascalon into Kryta, setting the stage for the Charr invasion of the central human lands. Although this was not a sign of any alliance, it set the stage for the two races to live within a watchful peace.
No peace accord was ever signed; a treaty would have been meaningless to the individualistic Norn and no Charr would even spit upon such a paper. However, the two races allowed one another passage and trade, while keeping their borders secure. Occasionally, a warband (or a Norn hunter) might cross the line into the other's land, only to be cut down without prejudice . . . but these skirmishes do not disrupt the accord reached by mutual consent between these nations.
Over the past one hundred years, more and more Norn have been seen in Kryta and lands beyond. An elder dragon of ice and snow arose in the farthest northern peaks, driving even the most stalwart hunters south into Dwarven lands. There they found abandoned Dwarven forts and a new challenge in the form of the Dredge, the old nemeses of the Dwarves, now almost unrecognizable from the primitive, frightened creatures of the past.
The Dredge, reveling in their new-found freedom after the Dwarves fell to the Destroyers, seized that opportunity to become a real threat in the Shiverpeaks, while the Norn revel in the hunt of new enemies. The Norn and the Dredge fight over control of these lands in a continual war that rages along the highest mountains.
The Norn have also kept ties with their human friends, although those ties are not as close as they once were for the Norn often felt betrayed by their unpredictable human allies. In recent years, that sense of betrayal has deepened, as the Norn do not trust the Krytan queen.
The queen is seen by members of this independent race as being too dependant on her advisors, too unwilling to act on her own as a hero must. Although relations have grown colder, the Norn hold out hope that the Krytan queen will prove herself by dominating her race, or that someone else will rise from among the humans to show them what it means to be strong.
Sylvari
While humans explored the Far Shiverpeaks and the Dwarves fought the Destroyers, a new race began to grow in the southern lands of Tyria. A single seed as big as a man's fist, planted in the ground of a ruined village along the southern tip of the Maguuma Jungle, began a centuries-long gestation—and heralded a new age.
This story began with a human soldier named Ronan whom, while separated from his patrol, discovered a cavern filled with strange seed-pods. This cavern was protected by terrible plant creatures, so he fled, clinging to a single seed to show his daughter when he returned home from war. But, upon his arrival, Ronan discovered the Mursaat had destroyed his village and murdered his family, leaving only ruined houses and mass graves. In agony, he planted the seed on their graves and swore never to return to battle.
Ronan was joined by an aging Centaur named Ventari, who had also begun to lose hope in peace. The human and the Centaur, against all odds, formed a friendship that surpassed the bounds of race. Together, they decided to begin their lives anew and create a refuge for human and Centaur alike. They built their safe haven near the ocean and the budding tree for all those who sought peace and the shelter of friendship.
The pale oak grew under the watchful and gentle eye of Ventari, becoming strong and healthy, and giving the old Centaur great joy. Yet with this bliss came sorrow. The Centaur tribes of the north and west, crushed and driven out by Krytans fleeing from their flooding coastline, grew more and more savage and brutal. As more tribes joined the war, fewer were willing to listen to Ventari’s words, and his new outpost became smaller and smaller.
At last, old and gray, Ventari carved his life's lessons upon a marble tablet, which he placed at the base of the pale tree so that future travelers might read it and, perhaps, learn the ways of peace and harmony. Then, many years after his human companion had passed on, Ventari laid down beside the tree Ronan had planted, and died. The year was 1165 AE.
The tree, white and sparkling, continued to grow. Over a hundred years later, small cocoons appeared among its branches. These cocoons spun out, shifting and eventually ripping open, birthing a new race of people into the world—fully grown, as if they had awakened from some magical dream. They called themselves the Sylvari, and these “Firstborn” were only the beginning of a widespread emergence, all born from the same massive tree.
The marble tablet still bears Ventari's last words, and the Sylvari who emerged from the tree found themselves strangely guided by these ancient lessons. Whether the tree, tended by Ventari, somehow became imprinted with the noble Centaur's morals and ethics, or whether it absorbed both the remains of the Centaur's flesh as well as his compassionate soul upon his death, no one knows for certain. But it is certain that his influence over the Sylvari is strong, even so many decades after his death. Their race venerates the Ventari Tablet as their most sacred artifact and testament.
It is unknown how old a Sylvari can become, as they come forth fully mature and show no signs of aging thereafter. Sylvari have no children, no families as such, but each Sylvari feels a special connection with others through what they call the “Dream of Dreams.” In this dream, they commune with the inner mind of the race, learning how to speak, walk, use simple tools, and interact with the world. Thus, when a Sylvari emerges, she knows a great deal more about the world than one might expect.
But the Dream of Dreams also contains nightmares—hidden whispers behind the voices of their fellow Sylvari. They do not understand what it means—but the Sylvari have yet to experience much of the world around them. They do not know the dangers and troubles of Tyria as intimately the other races do. But they are learning.
Time and Tide
The years have not been kind to Tyria. Even so, as green plants grow over the scorched rocks of Ascalon and the waters recede from Lion's Arch, a new city rises and the shattered coastline gives way to new life. New adventures lurk around every corner, and ancient places beneath the surface push up, their doors opened to reveal lost secrets.
However, the massive power of the dragons has been unleashed, spilling across the land like a disease that twists everything in its wake. Unless they can be stopped, the dragons will change the face of Tyria irrevocably, eradicating the sentient races . . . to what end, we can only guess.
Time and tide have changed the world. The races of Tyria now stand on equal ground, fighting for superiority even as dragons far older than history—truly primal powers—awaken to claim the world in their bloody claws. If there are heroes left in these lands anywhere among the races, it is time for them to step forward, if the world is to be saved.
Someone must rise to seize glory, offer a moment of hope, and perhaps give the world one last chance for peace. If those who would be heroes are listening . . .
. . . Now is your time.
Actually, there is a lot more out there than just the PCGamer article (which is probably copyrighted so you really shouldn't cut and paste articles from it here, I wouldn't think). Might be better to just post the link.
I was going by the interview with the GuildWars developers at Gamespy and articles published elsewhere. All three of my points have been announced in various ways by ArenaNet and/or in interviews with the Guild Wars 2 development team.
"Unconfirmed"? LOL. How much more confirmation do you need? This is what the developers are saying. I have to figure they would probably know what they are planning to do. One would hope so, anyway.
Try the interview at Gamespy for starters.
http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/guild-wars-2/784302p1.html
Well as all the press releases that I have on my desk from NCSoft and ANet state that its all unconfirmed I'll go by those as I have to as a games journalist thanks
Well as all the press releases that I have on my desk from NCSoft and ANet state that its all unconfirmed I'll go by those as I have to as a games journalist thanks
If you're really a games journalist as you claim, then you should know that articles from magazines, including PC Gamer, are copyrighted.
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Playing: Final Fantasy Online: ARR, Destiny
Most memorable games for me: UO, GW1, LoTRO
Well as all the press releases that I have on my desk from NCSoft and ANet state that its all unconfirmed I'll go by those as I have to as a games journalist thanks
If you're really a games journalist as you claim, then you should know that articles from magazines, including PC Gamer, are copyrighted.
Yep and as i have it on my PC in said press release and I included the copyright information (article Author, source and date), its all good
This is the exact copy/paste that I have on my stations forums and guild forum (ok the guild forum probably isn;t allowed, but fnuh)
Well as all the press releases that I have on my desk from NCSoft and ANet state that its all unconfirmed I'll go by those as I have to as a games journalist thanks
If you're really a games journalist as you claim, then you should know that articles from magazines, including PC Gamer, are copyrighted.
Yep and as i have it on my PC in said press release and I included the copyright information (article Author, source and date), its all good
Actually, it isn't. Just naming author, source and date does not give you any right to redistribute it without explicit permission of the copyright holder.
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Playing: Final Fantasy Online: ARR, Destiny
Most memorable games for me: UO, GW1, LoTRO
Well as all the press releases that I have on my desk from NCSoft and ANet state that its all unconfirmed I'll go by those as I have to as a games journalist thanks
If you're really a games journalist as you claim, then you should know that articles from magazines, including PC Gamer, are copyrighted.
Yep and as i have it on my PC in said press release and I included the copyright information (article Author, source and date), its all good
Actually, it isn't. Just naming author, source and date does not give you any right to redistribute it without explicit permission of the copyright holder.
OK, 1, if your going to quote someone, quote everything, 2, this was first published after press releases went out on PC GAmers own US site, making it public property, 3, stop trolling
1. I see no reason to quote the rest. I'm merely making a remark about copyright infringement.
2. The article you redistributed is not a press release is it? So someone wrote that article, based on the press release. Press releases aren't copyrighted, articles are. If you want to copy and paste, paste the press release then. If you're a journalist, then you should be able to write your own articles. Being a journalist is not the same as copying and pasting articles from someone else.
3. I'm not trolling. I am simply stating that what you're doing isn't legal, and you don't seem to like that.
*EDIT* In case you don't believe me: the publisher of PC Gamer magazine is Future plc and these are their terms and conditions:
www.futureplc.com/future/terms.jsp
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Playing: Final Fantasy Online: ARR, Destiny
Most memorable games for me: UO, GW1, LoTRO
Well, as I suggested earlier, a simple link to the article would have been just as good, if not better.
The article was interesting, but I am sad about the dwarves. I am now wondering whether my favorite race will be playable in GW2. It doesn't sound like it....
Reason to be depressed about GW2 number 4--
You can't be a dwarf. Then again, the dwarves in GW (apart from Ogden) have always been so darned ugly anyway. Maybe I'm not so sad about this after all.
Nope, it has been categorically stated in all interviews and chats with devs, designers, etc that no, Dwarves are a dead race and won't be playable in GW2 (although Jedi were near extinct in Star wars, but look what happened to Star wars Galaxies when SOE made jedi a playable profession from the start... Lame...)
And Linking to the article is all well and good, but not everyone actually clicks links due to the chances (however slim) of catching something on your PC from disreputable links... I made life easier for people so they could read without having to link to it, i appologize for making your petty lives easier and i won't even pass on this cool information to you again
Well, having gotten my second character - a ranger - through EoTN, and having watched Ogden's Benediction again, I did feel a wave of sadness come over me as I watched. Yes, I know I'll be able to come back and play my characters in GW 1 anytime I want. The source of my melancholy was not about whether GW 1 would ever go away, it's the feeling you get from coming to the end of a really good book or movie wishing it could go on forever.
The line that got me most in the benediction was about "the children of legends" and the feeling that the character's I've developed, and have come to know and "love" over more than 2 years of playing them, are finite, mortal beings - just like me.
Think about it: GW 2 is set 250 years in Tyria's future. By this time, the great, great, great grandchildren of characters like Duncan Serling and Gwen Littledove will be battling evil, and all the great heroes from Tyria's past will have died long before, unable to come to the aid of the descendants they'll never know, just as those heroes who lived before us - and who forged the way for our future - are long distant memories.
Who wouldn't give their right arm to sit down and spend even just five minutes with an ancestor who lived through the Civil War, or who stormed Bunker Hill? What would you give to spend a few minutes with Leonidas of Sparta or King David: men who were heroes to their people and who changed the course of history?
I'm not suggesting virtual heroes in a virtual world rise to the level of real people in the real world except as metaphors and symbols, but what they symbolize is the desire in each and every one of us to find some small bit of the adventurer and hero in all of us.
If saving the virtual world of Tyria hasn't made you feel even a little bit heroic - if only in the virtual sense - what was the point of playing? And if you can feel pride in the sense of accomplishment you get from being a hero there, how much moreso would you feel it doing something truly heroic in real life?
If nothing else, let this simple game inspire you to leave a real-life legacy of heroism and kindness to the descendants you will never know, if only because it's the right thing to do. And true heroes always strive to do that which is right.
/soapbox
Nicely put, Serling!
I haven't finished EotN yet (I'm trying to drag out the story as long as I can by playing different alts on different days).
But I am sorta hoping EotN might do well enough that NCSoft reconsiders developing additional campaigns like it. (Yeah, I know that's a longshot, but no harm in hoping. They did bring back Classic Coke, after all!)
The GW1 formula has worked awfully well. It stills seems odd to me that they would want to "reinvent" a game that has done so much better in the marketplace than so many other games that have come, tanked, and faded away. It would be like WoW coming out with "WoW2" as an FPS...
I would be far more interested in purchasing another EotN-type expansion than GW2, at least based on what I've heard of GW2 thus far.
Hey Arenanet...
If you're reading this, please create a way to ensconce not just our avatars' weapons, armor, mini-pets, accomplishments and heroes in the Hall of Monuments, but the images of our current heroes themselves. I think it would be cool - while playing GW 2 - to bring my Ranger's descendent into the hall to be able to gaze upon a bronze likeness of him.
P.S. I'm in the process of writing a fictional account based on the lives of some of my avatars with an eye toward eventually getting it published. Any chance Arenanet might be interested in it?
You can out a statue of yourself up in there if your character has Elite 15k armour and you can put hero statues up if you have gotten them the special challenge mission armours
And yes, ANet is usually glad to receive stories
the only thing that worries me about GW2 is if they borrow too heavily from that which is WoW... I can't stress how *NON* casual friendly WoW's endgame is.. GW is far far better for me, so hopefully they'll keep what makes GW great in (solo and small group focus) and keep what makes WoW crap out (25+ man raids.. no thanks)
I know, GW isn't WoW.. but so many game dev's look at WoW's subscription numbers and loose their mind (and creativity), so I feel my concern is justified somewhat.
>_> <_< ^_^
and, 2, how can anything copy WoW, when WoW itself is a copy of MMO's that have gone before... Ok, it uses the Lore from Warcraft, but apart from the lore, the game is a direct copy of almost all other hack and slash grind MMO's
Ok, 1, what crystal ball are you getting your information about GW2 copying WoW from?and, 2, how can anything copy WoW, when WoW itself is a copy of MMO's that have gone before... Ok, it uses the Lore from Warcraft, but apart from the lore, the game is a direct copy of almost all other hack and slash grind MMO's
I never said I had a crystal ball or that I was gleening information from it... simply looking at past trends set by other devs trying to reap the benefits of WoW's high subscription numbers has led them to develop rather poorly veiled clones.... case and point, LOTRO (yeah I was in that beta.. ) and going from those experiences I was expressing my hope that Arenanet does *NOT* follow suit and continues to do their own rather well developed thing.WoW IS a copy of what came before it, again nobody can or should try to deny that.... but it skewed gameplay in such a way that it's EXTREMELY accessable (at least until you hit the level cap at which time all that changes.) Up to the level cap it can be a lot of fun... at the level cap.. it's EQ: PoP all over again (just on a smaller scale)... so they actually did exercise *some* degree of creativity in creating a leveling system that was VERY easy to pull people into.. something previous games had failed to do as well. We are the "immediate gratification" generation and WoW's leveling system caters to that mindset very very well... and then at the level cap they totally drop the ball. But by then you feel vested and have invested a ton of time in a character and are less likely to quit.
>_> <_< ^_^
I mean our characters. I already have some of my characters' heroes ensconced. Just wanted to know if there is a way to get my character's in the HoM.
BTW, does end-game Factions armor qualify as 15k elite? It does cost 15k, after all. (And if not, does this mean farming the UW and FoW for ectos to get FoW armor? If so, screw that. I'd rather have bamboo shoved under my fingernails)
My Necro has Elite profane armour in his HoM and it looks damn cool(I actually think this is why they changed some of the armour names to Elite)
Here's a quick list of Armours that will go into the HoM:
Prophecies
Factions
Nightfall
Eye of the North
Armor sets
Nice helpful links above! well done.
My character (same name as forum name here) has a nice set of Obsidian Warrior armor in my HoM, its great I can save my accomplishment there, after wearing it for about 20 months now.
Still working on my titles up for display though.
Im happy GW2 is starting a fresh, that way the GW1 plus expantions wont seem so stale to me. Rather look back fondly than continue to play the same old stuff.
Really looking forward to the new concepts for GW2
Anyway, theres concept art starting to be filtered out from ANet now, when I get links, i'll post them here after i post them on my guild and station forums
Thanks for the links, Lone...Bookmarked and saved.
Glad Factions end-game is in there. Got three 'Sins with and a Rit I'll put up in the HoM.
Thanks again.
GW will still be there, no doubt. By experience, I was playing DAOC some years ago and now the population is less than 5000 players (maybe 2000 ?)... and the game is still there for the FANS, same things about EQ1 and Ultima Online.
Its clear that when GW2 will be up and running, we'll see a lot of empty districs the time that the GW2 players try the game....Remember, why peoples love GW ? because isnt an MMO, we can play alone with Hench and Heroes, doing mission/quest and never care about anythings. The cap level is 20 and the peoples play for is own pleasure, I mean, doing their quests, chest run, instances, and to get some new items and of course the new armor set when you finish the game
I'll try GW2 for sure, but I dont like the competition about the leveling like WoW and others MMO...Its why I left WoW and the others MMO when I got some high level toons...
After played all MMO'S since 6 years, I would say that the best MMO that I was played was;
- Star Wars Galaxies (Pre-CU) and Guild Wars because they never been a leveling base games...
All my friends play WoW and EQ2...The thing that I always heard is "Man I can't do this instance because I'm not 60 or 70 and I dont have my tier 5, 6 or 7..." So they stuck in the city and waste their precious time...You will never see this in GW
Have fun and long live to Guld Wars
Play : Guild Wars (2 Accounts)
-Wake Up Dead (N/Mo) and a lot of others 20 lvl toons...
Played : WoW, CoH/CoV, SWG, DAOC, EQ2 etc
JEDI MASTER SOTANAX
SWG PRE-CU
i kinda feel ur pain but then again im happy its turning into a propper style mmo, i do like it the way it is now but i like old style a little better