This is the DIARY of GAIUS STORMSQUALL.
A revenant from the Mists. New to this world. Venturing deeper into Tyria - and into my past and self.
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Welcome to @charrior-of-ash 's blog for Gaius Stormsquall - my entry to the GW2 Adventurer Challenge. You can read about it here.
Current Gaius (warrior) is his third incarnation after in-game revenant and elementalist. Lorewise he returned from the Mist, and had a past with elemental magic. None of his previous incarnations died. The class changes were only for gameplay sake. This would mean I'd have to start over each time, so with Warrior!Gaius I started with level 40.
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You can find the entries under the tag #diary-of-gaius. Any other post, for example drawings or my ramblings, are kept off that tag.
Diary Entries: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Shadow The old life 14 15 16 17
unfortunately, I lost interest and love for Gaius and his story. I might start a new challenge in the future, but probably on a side account in the game and without posting the story on Tumblr. It's something that might change, though, and if it does, I might reuse this blog.
I'm sorry for discontinuing to all following his adventures - and thanks for your love! I didn't expect it.
Have a great time <3
@charrior-of-ash
Diary Entry 17
This entry is just so that I don't forget how to write.
I am on the way a lot nowadays, even more then back in Ascalon. So far nothing dangerous happend, well, maybe except a centaur ambush back in the Gendarran Fields. With a few tricks and a solid headbashing we survived it completely unharmed.
I wish I could tell you more of what we are doing, but most of it secret - even to me, as I'm the lowest ranking member of the Priory. Also, I escort different research groups, so they all have different tasks. They seem to be excited about them, which somehow makes me happy, too.
I got rid of the plate armor and wear more comfortable fabric. The scholars gifted a few magical signets to me, that provide additional defense. Maybe they will also teach me their defensive spells some day? That would be something that'd make me excited!
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Sorry for the inactivity. Work (or dealing with people) makes me exhausted lately.
Diary Entry 16
This time I wanted to write more, really, I'm not lying, but... I guess going to the Priory wasn't the most clever idea. Or maybe I'm just not as assertive as I thought.
Because as soon as my feet touched the floor of the Durmand Priory, two of their scholars nearly jumped at me. They yelled at me at how I was too late, and that they need me to immediately take my post, and, and, and... Only later, as I stood before Steward Gixx, I could finally explain it must have been a misunderstanding. The magisters were sure I was the charr that applied to be a new bodyguard at the Priory, as they need some additional help with escorts.
Long story short - the spot was still vacant, I had nothing better to do, wanted to learn new magic and needed a roof under my head. So guess who is in the Priory now, as a low-level scholar and a big-muscle (hehe) bodyguard. Yep, it's me.
Diary Entry 15
Since I had nothing else to pursue, I concentrated on what the charr told me ā that I should try getting into elemental magic. How do I do that? Do I start by reading books, randomly playing with matches or getting into cold water or is there any other twisted way?
After some thinking I directed myself towards Lornar's Pass. On my last journey, my travel companions told me about the Durmand Priory, an order of scholars, who study dragons and their magic. Maybe they can help me find mine?
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Hey! It's a very short entry as I have lots on my head leately. Just wanted to write I will be absent the next few days. Another one of my best friends is getting married and I'm going abroad to see her for the first time in 5-6 years <3 As it's my first flight since... well, fifteen years maybe, I am drowning in packing, planning and EXCITEMENT!
Have a nice week, guys!
Diary Entry 14
Quite a lot of time has passed from my last entry.
I figured out I needed to stay away from the charr lands. I want a new life, which means I donāt want any contact with anyone who could have known me before.
Iā¦ I learned a lot about myself that night. She didnāt answer all my questions ā pardon, she did, but some of her answers were a firm āI wonāt tell you that, for your own goodā. I donāt know the details, and I donāt need to. I did something I regretted so deeply that I didnāt want toā¦ exist anymore. Just the thought of that makes me despise myself. If I knew the whole truth, it would be even worse. There is no reason for me not to believe her, as she was very strong in her words and everything she said made sense, and I canāt think of anything she would gain by lying to me. If she wanted to get rid of me, she could have ended me in a blink of an eye. For whatever reason she chose not to. She even told me to try out some elemental magic, as I seemed to be skilled in it before.
At least she was nice enough to give me my diary back.
Diary Entry: The old life
TW: Blood
āGaiusā sat up rather quickly but was still a bit dizzy in the head. I waited a moment and observed the change in his eyes as he looked at me ā first confusion, then surprise, anger at the end. I interrupted him before he could say anything.
- You canāt and wonāt harm me, and I mean no harm to you, unless you choose to threaten me. Do you understand?
He nodded with hesitation. My magic holding him down eased and the charr slowly rose to his knees. His strength hasnāt returned yet.
I already knew the questions he wanted to ask me.
- I wonāt tell you my name and no, I wonāt tell you yours, because you never told me what it was. You didnāt want to live your previous life. Are you sure you want to know why?
Thatās the moment when emotions left his gaze ā I could see them flee. The blank stare lowered to the grass, and for a while he just drowned in his own thoughts. Iām sure he had enough time from our last meeting to overthink the words I then hissed at him.
That day started quite normally. I was on a mission from the Mesmer Collective to retrieve a powerful artifact from Ascalon. It was a few moons ago. Although the Flame Legion was now under Efram Greetgloryās command, a few of his brethren stuck to the old ways, some even marched under the Dominion flag. Anyway, I contacted an Ash Legion warband to bring me there and back me up (not for free, of course). Mostly experienced, extremely skilled soldiers.
Thatās why I was surprised when we were caught in an ambush. I did what I could to shield my companions, but one by one they fell, just as the enemy did. Only one of the shamans was standing ā just like me - bleeding, barely on our legs, but still alive, and before either of us could deliver the final blow, his eyes opened widely and with a dreadful scream he rushed to the side.
The life of a charr is one of eternal war. I have seen parents slaying their children without thinking, siblings vowing hateful revenge on each other, friends becoming rivals. But never before have I seen someone crying so desperately as he did.
He wasnāt crying for his bandmates.
He was crying for a loved one whose life he just ended.
Between the howling and sobbing he begged his gods for his own demise. How could he go on without his lover at his side ā and knowing he is to blame for that? And when the titans didnāt answer, he whispered those pleads to me.
My heart fell for this stranger, I felt his pain with every cell in my body, but as egoistic as it sounds, I still had a mission to do. I made a merciful offer ā heād lead me to the artifact, and I would end his life as it was. Say what you want, call me naĆÆve, but seeing his profound grief, I couldnāt not give him a second chance.
On the way āGaiusā told me his story, how he doesnāt believe in charr or Flameās superiority anymore, how he met his love, how they met in secret, how she changed his way of thinking and that he was planning to leave it all behind to be with her. He fetched the artifact for me, and I respected my part of the deal ā I made his pain go away... Until the end he was convinced I was going to give him a quick death ā I hope the odds forgive me for deceiving him ā but with advanced alchemy (eternal thanks to my sire for teaching me this despite my loud protests), dirty necromantic arts (again ā thanks, papa) and some Mist knowledge (ā¦thanks to myself), I could remove his memories. His next destination were the Mists, so that he would never face people who knew him before. Otherwise, it would all be for nothing.
Well, somehow, my plan failed in the second part, and after a few months I found him on Tyria. Papa would be angry if he knew.
He has been on my trail, again. He wasnāt exactly careful to hide, but what would I expect from an ex-Flame Legion soldier? Plus, he was stillā¦ new to this world, so no matter what he did, I could outsmart and outrun him. My last warning didnāt scare him enough ā maybe it should have been more violent, so that he could really let it go. Now that heās nearly on my back again, I might as well teach him a harder lesson. Ā
I caught him unaware and very quickly he fell to the ground before me. He wasnāt gone, I checked his pulse ā he was still there, what a relief. If it was my intention to cease his existence, I would have done it a long time ago. In fact, I saved him from death before. Before he woke up by that damned lake. But he doesnāt know that. For now.
But I think itās time to give him at least some answers.
Elaine poked Gaiusā shoulder with purple magic streams flowing out of her claws.
- Hey, wake up. We need to talk.
There she is :3 Yahuk's precious daughter - Elaine Frostnight! What does a mesmer has to do with Gaius and his amnesia? How did she save him? ...and from what?
tune in for next episode after this cliffhanger heheheheheheheh
Diary Entry 13
I'm on her trail. I'll spare the details on how I got to the point I am now - only the target is important.
There is a chill in the air... at least that's what I feel. Jalis has been silent for a while now, but I sense the tension growing in him.
My excitement and bravery have been chased away by fear. The fright is driving me insane, the gruesome feeling of being followed came back stronger as before.
Is it paranoia or is it re-
The rest of the word is smeared, as the pencil rolled down the paper. Gaius diary fell on the ground, just as his stunned body did. Before he went unconscious, he saw one last gaze upon him.
Diary Entry 12
I won't write much to keep my plans in secret - let's just say I returned to where it all began, to Lake Carnifex. The charr who saved me must have seen or heard something... And if not, I hope my Shadow finds me, to try to break me again. But this time I am prepared - and am only waiting to meet again.
Remember how I mentioned I might remake Gaius, because he was my third revenant? Well, guess who just makes a second elementalist ._. I only play Kat as a Tempest with Hammer/Spear, so might as well try core ele out, with some crazy pistol&warhorn combo and pray not to die on the core maps XD
Diary Entry 11
An avalanche and horrible weather conditions keep me grounded in Lornarās Pass with no safe passage to Lionās Arch. The caravan leader I traveled with already said I might have to take a longer route ā or stay here a few days more. I took the opportunity and explored the area. Not only was my help appreciated by the inhabitants, but they also could be helpful to me. After spending some nights in their homesteads with good sleep and even better ale, I must admit - I like the norn much better than the charr I met. They are a proud race with a strong sense of honor and ways of life. After hours of talking and discussing, I took their words to my heart.
I feel like Iām running away from my fears instead of facing them. I have nothing to lose, not even my honor, grace or my name. As soon as I reach the harbor city, Iāll lead my steps towards the asura gates ā and return to the Black Citadel. Iām gonna find my shadow and ask all the questions I have, even if I'll have to do it by force or be harmed by it.
Woe to anyone who dares to stop me.
I'll be taking a short break from the GW2 Adventurer Challenge. Reason: fed up with revenant. I "main" a Herald on my side account, and after doing weekly wizard's there + casually playing my Renegade on main acc, I just don't wanna spend my time doing nearly the same thing again.
If it won't get better, I might restart the challenge with a new class - but with the same character (Gaius) and backstory. Maybe he lost his contact to Jalis or just simply discovered his talent for another kind of combact/magic?
Diary Entry 10
As I'm writing these words, I am somewhere in the Shiverpeaks, between the Dredgehunt Cliffs and Lornar's Pass. A Norn caravan took me with them - Spirits bless them, it is a much needed pause for my legs. Lion's Arch is where I'm headed to, but that means I have to leave my fellow travelers soon.
My last entry was some time ago, I know. I just needed to gather my thoughts, alone (I'm being a hypocrite - I'm never alone with Jalis). My amnesia is nothing pleasant, but it is quite interesting to learning how my body works. Like look - my hair grew out and formed a fluffy mane around my neck. I must have shaven it down before I went to the Mists. Why? No idea, but it was clearly a mistake. The female norn I traveled with was amazed by it.
Also, the blindfold is completely gone now. That's also the reason why the wasn't much time to update my diary; finding my way again with my own eyes took a while to master.
Night is coming, so I'm now to take some sleep before my journey on foot resumes. I'm curious what I'll find in Kryta.
I needed new armor as my previous one was torn into pieces. My old gear was mostly metal plates and while it gave fantastic defense, it was also a burden to travel on feet. This time I went for some sturdy reinforced leather parts, and both warmer parts made of fur andā¦ well, some open spaces. The leggings are also more comfortable and offer lots of bag space. Speaking of bags ā I traded them for a gigantic backpack, so that the travel gets a bit easier.
Iām taking my time to take a breath. Her gaze and her words still haunt me. The nights are sleepless, and when I get to doze off, the pair of amber eyes are before me.
I might leave Ascalon soon and divert to the Shiverpeaks. I need a change of landscape, but Iāll surely return here once I get a grip of myself again.
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Gaius got a total makeover. I figured out, if he got that far, he needs to have looks I like. The previous face is definitely one of my least favorite in the game. Why I chose it in first place is still unknown to me.
Btw I struggled with a weird build for Gaius - just gave him Wanderer stats, because he is, in fact, a wanderer. And Adventurer relic. And Traveler runes. Letās see which more āeaster eggsā I can drop on him, hehe.
The reason why I will leave Ascalon is that Iāve done these maps multiple times, as I usually go through them with all my alts. There have been a lot of characters Iāve deleted over the years, that did only the charr maps etc. I might even chase him to Kryta first before returning to the east side of Tyriaās map.
Diary Entry 8
Today I saw her. I saw the creature that had been following me all this time. She faced me, baring her fangs and glaring at me with furious eyes. Her head was hidden under a black cowl, so I couldnāt catch a glimpse of her fur color.
It happened as I returned to gather my packs. Before that, I arrived at the camp I mentioned last time. The visit brought more questions than answers and didnāt really push me forward. As if this werenāt unfortunate enough, when I got back to my little makeshift tent, I found its fabric shredded and my armor crashed. What was curious ā I found bloodstains a few meters behind my camp and decided to follow them. First, I found a lifeless bear corpse, but the bloody pawprints continued to go north.
It all went fast. I heard a crackling noise in a bush and as I prepared to sneak towards it, something large knocked me over and I fell to my side. A punch to my chest pushed all the air from my lungs and it took a few seconds before I could chase my assaulter again. She wasnāt much faster than me, and I soon realized why ā a red stream was flowing down her right hip. I assume the bear hurt her as she vandalized my gear. Anyway, before I could stop her, she turned to me.
And then said something I will never forget.
āStop searching. Itās for your best. Itās what you wanted.ā
I know - the number of words I just poured on the paper say otherwise, but it did impact me.
What does she know what I donāt?
Did I really want to forget it all?
Why?
What have I done?
Diary Entry 7
As Iām venturing deeper into Ascalon, the feeling of being observed is haunting me ā again. Itās getting worse with my every step, with every conversation I engage in, with every gaze I lay upon those lands. My mind (and Jalis, too) senses danger in every corner. On the other hand, I neither see nor hear any sign of anything following me, at least no physical sign. Iām sliding into insanity, or my spy is a ghost. Or an expert in stealth and illusion. Nevertheless, I must stay alert.
I took off my blindfold for a few moments today, to see if I can concentrate without it. Itā¦ didnāt go all too well, but one day it will be thrown away. I just need patience.
From the good news ā someone recognized me. A weaponsmith at Deathbladeās Watch asked me if I still had the blade I bought from her a few moons ago. She must have been utterly confused when I asked if she remembered which way I was going. Nevertheless, the crafter sent me north, towards a camp in the Blazeridge Steppes. I am very intrigued by what Iāll find there.
